


Song of the Deep

by coinseller



Series: Daisies & Seashells [1]
Category: Wanna One (Band)
Genre: Fluff, Language Barrier, M/M, Romance, detailed descriptions of aquaphobia induced panic attacks/ptsd, detailed descriptions of drowning, heavily made up mermaid/siren lore, mermaid au, technically its more like thalassophobia but for the sake of simplicity we’re calling it aquaphobia, this is a walt disney production, this story is really cliché but I wrote it anyway to feed my starving panwink heart
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-10
Updated: 2018-05-25
Packaged: 2019-03-03 06:50:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 40,123
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13335753
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/coinseller/pseuds/coinseller
Summary: Guanlin doesn’t expect to meet a merman on his summer vacation, and neither does he expect to fall in love.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> tfw u love pw so much that u write pw fics to procrastinate writing other pw fics… rip
> 
> WOW here I am. again. with more (very soft) panwink. this fic was honestly very impulsive. I just wrote it out of nowhere :0 there is no outline for this fic, I have only a little idea of idea where im taking this :'D this fic is basically writing itself at this point aklsdjfaksldfj 
> 
> the title was, yes, inspired by the video game (but the fic itself isnt) aksldjfalksghdjf I have never played Song of the Deep, but the soundtrack is one of the most beautiful things I have ever heard!!! so if u want something to listen to while reading this, here are my two favorite songs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7z4A2CRaLRY and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVW28yLXY9s
> 
> ANYWAY! lol I hope u enjoy this!!! get ready cuz this is about 2 b sum some corny ass shit bois

_A firm pressure gripped at Guanlin’s lungs like an iron clamp. It tightened and squeezed at him, mercilessly forcing every drop of oxygen out of his body and replacing it with nothing but cold, suffocating water._

_He choked, and a final burst of air rippled from his gaping mouth in an eruption of bubbles, rising towards the water’s surface seemingly miles and miles above him now._

_He looked up—watched as the rays of sun flickered down at him sweeping with the waves, like curtains flowing in a gentle breeze. The corners of his vision slowly turned black, and his eyelids fluttered shut. He made his descent, the abyss pulling him deeper and deeper._

_He was drowning—suspended in a never-ending expanse of blue—body moving with the force of the currents spiraling around him._

_After some time, he had stopped clawing his way towards the surface. His desperate attempts at escaping this prison of water had come to an end. He was frozen—paralyzed with fear and confusion. And he was tired… oh, so very tired._

_He felt nothing. He heard nothing. A chilling numbness began to crawl its way throughout his entire being, wrapping around him like a blanket—smothering him._

_Guanlin gulped for air one last time, but whatever he breathed in, burned, clogged his lungs, and compressed at his head. His racing heart stuttered, skipped, then came to a halt._

_The nine-year-old’s body stilled and he died. Strangled by the unforgiving hands of the sea._

_But it was then, that in a sudden moment, Guanlin’s heart kicked back to life._

_He heaved and coughed—air bubbles pouring from his lips in an explosion, swirling and bursting around him like a tornado. His eyes shot open, aware, but barely seeing._

_He caught flashes of blues, yellows, and greens, saw scales with each fleck reflecting the sun and casting a new array of colors that blurred together in a whirl. He recognized the form of a figure: long and curving, swaying gracefully in the water._

_Guanlin couldn’t make out anything for certain, only a pair of dark, glistening eyes that watched him, held his gaze steady and grounded him to the present. Then a hand came into view—soft and small, that pressed to the center of his chest and emitting a warm, comforting light._

_Before Guanlin could finally black out, he heard voice, gentle and alluring. It sung to him five notes in a hypnotizing sequence that willed him—commanded him—to relax. And Guanlin obeyed._

_The five notes rung through his ears like a bell. It echoed in his thoughts, filled his head with every pitch and wrote itself into every fiber of his being. The voice engraved itself into his mind and, forever, weaved itself permanently into his memories…_

 

 

 

 

 

Guanlin jolted up from his dream with a desperate inhale for oxygen. His seatbelt tightened against him, stopping his body from lifting any further, and strapped him right back into his seat.

 

Guanlin gasped for a few moments, sweating, trying to compose himself with a clammy hand pressed flush against his chest. He scrambled to calm down, searching for his heartbeat, feeling for the steady rise and fall of his lungs, and making sure he was still, truly here—still, truly alive.

 

Then came pain—a pain that pressed against his chest, right above a scar that was carved into his skin. It squeezed at his ribcage, making his entire body tremble. The mark throbbed for a minute and he allowed his mind to zero in on the steady thumping of the delicate swirl left many years ago when his grandfather had pulled him out of the water, saving him.

 

Guanlin recalled that day clearly, as if it had only happened yesterday; on one sunny afternoon, he had eagerly convinced his parents to let him go out to sea with his grandfather. He remembered how happy his grandpa looked, beaming down at him with a sparkle in his eyes, thrilled to show his only grandson his passion for the water _—_ pass along his love for the sea onto _him_.

 

And Guanlin did love it. He _did_ love the sea…

 

Guanlin remembered how excited he had been to watch his grandpa fish. He got to wear his grandpa’s favorite fishing hat and he even got a chance to row one of the oars on their small, wooden boat. He loved every minute of it; being out in the water. He loved the gentle sway of the boat and the smell of salt in the air. He loved the colors of the sea and how the sun reflected against it like stained glass. He loved the breeze and how it tousled his hair, blew against his cheeks, kicked the water up—spraying him with droplets. He felt alive and wonderful, and he thought that he’d never been this happy anywhere in his life.

 

But, that all ended in a single moment.

 

Guanlin didn’t know how he had fallen or how long he was under the water for. All he remembered was darkness— _emptiness_ —the world closing in around him, then, nothing. And the next thing he knew, he was waking up in his grandfather’s boat again shivering, crying, his chest searing with water pouring from his mouth and his nose.

 

Since then, Guanlin was hopelessly terrified of the sea.

 

The mark made its appearance a day afterwards: a perfect, five-layered swirl right in the center of his chest. When he wondered how he’d gotten it, his grandfather proposed that maybe something hit him during his time underneath the water. And Guanlin believed him, being too young to question it. As he grew, he came to realize that the mark was too intricate to have been just merely a normal scar. But when he questioned his grandfather again, he gave him the same exact story. And Guanlin never pressed the matter any further, deciding to just accept it for what it was.

 

The dream made its first appearance about a week later. It had always started out with him drowning, dying, and then coming back to life by the hand of someone that definitely was not his grandfather’s. Growing up, he only had the dream sporadically. But as the years passed, it had become more frequent— _more intense_ —and much more realistic than the last. And as of recently, he couldn’t even close his eyes without seeing himself stranded in the middle of the ocean.

 

Guanlin wasn’t stupid, and he knew that there was a large possibility that the peculiar mark on his chest had something to do with the dreams—in particular, the mysterious figure who brought him back to life—but no one would ever confirm his suspicions, and he was ultimately left in the dark.

 

“You okay back there, kid?” The taxi driver called back to him, carefully glancing at his passenger from over his shoulder.

 

Guanlin didn't even realize how hard he was breathing until now. With a gulp, he shook his head a little, trying to clear his thoughts from his mind and balling his hands into fists, willing for them to stop shaking. But nothing worked. There was only one way he knew how to calm down, and it was by repeating five notes in his head _—t_ he same five notes that the voice sang to him in his dream.

 

“I’m fine,” Guanlin eventually replied, his voice choked up and unsteady.

 

“You sure? I can pull over if you’re getting carsick…”

 

“No, I’m good, I promise.” He said a bit stronger this time.

 

 The man hesitated before saying, “If you say so." 

 

They fell back into silence. With nothing better to do, Guanlin turned to look out the window and watched as the scenery flew by. It was only the beginning of May—the start of his summer vacation—and all the trees and hills bloomed with a vibrant shade of green.

 

There were long expanses of empty land and an occasional building every few miles. The area was beautiful, Guanlin thought, but it was different. Much different than what he was used to.

 

“So, where are you coming from?” The taxi driver asked.

 

“Taipei.”

 

The man whistled. “You’re far from home then. What’s a city boy like you doing all the way out here?”

 

“I’m visiting my grandfather,” Guanlin responded.

 

“That’s nice,” He chirped. “You excited to see him?”

 

“I guess,” Guanlin shrugged. He turned to look back out the window. “It’s just… haven’t seen him in a while.”

 

“Really? How long?”

 

“About…” He thought for a moment, “eight…”

 

“Months?”

 

“Eight years.”

 

The man whistled again. “That’s a _long_ time…”

 

And indeed, it was.

 

It had been eight years since his fatal accident, making it exactly eight years since he’d last seen his grandfather. After that fateful summer, his parents refused to let him go back to the small fishing town and, besides from random calls every now and then, he hadn’t made contact with his relative since. However, that all came to an end when his parents decided to go on a three-month vacation to the United States without him. And since none of his other family could take him in, they were left with no other choice than to send him off to his grandfather’s.

 

“ _Ah_. Well then, I’m excited to let you know that we’re almost there,” The taxi driver announced.

 

Guanlin hummed, and continued to stare out the window.

 

 

 

 

 

The ride lasted for another fifteen minutes before the man finally pulled up to the rural fishing town. It was exactly the same as Guanlin remembered it; every house and store positioned in rows and facing towards the sea, connected by four different streets. From here, he could see the dock lined with various boats, and make out two piers that stretched just as far as he remembered—disappearing out into where the ocean touched the light blue sky.

 

The town was small just as much as it was remote, cut off by lush hills and thick forests. Its population was close to zero and mostly consisted of elderly people—save for a few families with kids far younger than Guanlin’s age.

 

When Guanlin stepped out of the taxi, he was hit by a blast of humid air that stuck to his skin, making him feel all gross and slimy. His eyes had a hard time adjusting to the light, but after blinking away the initial sting, he had absolutely no problem finding his grandfather.

 

The man was already waiting for him at the edge of the town, seated on a little wooden bench by an old bus stop that was years out of use. Upon seeing his first and only grandson, a wide smile blossomed across his face, and he approached Guanlin with his arms open wide.

 

“Is that my grandson? Is that Guanlin?” He asked, voice familiar and playful but much more aged than he remembered it being.

 

“Hi, grandpa,” Guanlin replied with a soft smile of his own. He bent down to return his grandfather’s hug, and his grandfather squeezed his entire body in a warm, welcoming embrace, almost lifting the lanky teenager off the ground. Guanlin laughed and groaned in pretend pain, which only made his grandpa hug him even tighter.

 

He parted with a hearty pat to Guanlin’s shoulder, and took a step back, sighing happily. He held Guanlin’s arms in his hands and breathed, “Look at you, my boy. You’ve gotten so big! How tall are you now? Seven feet?”

 

Guanlin rolled his eyes, still grinning. “Six.”

 

His grandfather whistled in amazement. He took fishing hat off from his head to wipe the sweat from his head. “Six feet?” He repeated. “I remember when you were only up to my waist.”

 

“That was years ago,” Guanlin chuckled.

 

And his grandpa nodded, face falling reminiscent. “ _Years_ , huh?”

 

Guanlin was silent, and he watched his grandfather look off to the side, thinking—probably remembering the reason his grandson hadn’t returned to the town in years. 

 

Guanlin felt his heart drop in his chest. He wanted to say something, but didn’t know what.

 

“Well,” His grandpa said after a few moments. His voice returned to its usual chipper pitch. “It’s good to have you back, then.”

 

Guanlin nodded.

 

“Is that your stuff?” He asked, pointing to the two large suitcases at Guanlin’s feet.

 

“Ah, yeah…”

 

“Here, I can take one for you—”

 

“No, no it’s fine—”

 

His grandpa waved him off. “I may be old, but these bones haven’t failed me yet.” He smiled before grabbing for one of his luggages and began walking. “Come on, boy. The sun won’t be up all day!”

 

Guanlin sighed with a light quirk in his lips. He took one last look at the road that the taxi had taken off in and he turned back to his grandfather. Concerns flooded his mind, but for now, he was tired from his long hours of traveling. With his luggage handle in hand, he trudged after his grandpa, pulling his stuff across the uneven, gravel road.

 

 

 

 

 

His grandfather lived in the small, white house at the corner of the town, with its paint chipping off the wood from years of abuse against the relentless, ocean breeze.

 

The inside was just as Guanlin remembered it too; with woven carpets on the wooden floors and the walls lined in floral wallpaper. As he stepped through the hallways, he passed various faded photographs depicting his mother, his late grandmother, himself, and other various people that Guanlin couldn’t recognize or, possibly, never even met.

 

He walked by numerous shelves holding countless trinkets, some old and some new, hearing the same, old grandfather clock, ticking at a steady rhythm, filling the peaceful, cozy home with soft clicks that echoed above the sound of the crashing waves out in the distance.

 

However, there was one display in particular that Guanlin certainly did not recognize. So, the teenager approached it and scanned through the various items spread across the small table positioned in the corner of the living room. Guanlin picked up a curious item and flipped it around in his hands, jolting when he heard the sound of someone clearing their throat right next to him.

 

“Fascinating, isn’t it?” His grandfather asked.

 

“Uh,” Guanlin paused, still a bit startled. “Wh-What is it?”

 

“A collection,” He stated, taking the item from Gaunlin’s hand and placing it back on the table.

 

“Of what?”

 

“Are you blind?” His grandfather chuckled, motioning towards the assortment of items. “Mermaids, my boy.”

 

Guanlin turned to the table again. It wasn’t that he couldn’t _see_ what was on the display; rather, he wasn’t sure if he wanted to _believe_ it.

 

On the table was an organized mess of photographs and books; some hefty like encyclopedias and some small and thin with pictures, like a child’s storybook. He read the covers of a few of them, and noticed they were all about mermaids or the lore behind them. But there was one book in particular that stood out to Guanlin because he couldn’t read it. It was written in a language that he hadn’t seen before—or maybe, he just couldn’t understand it because of how badly the text had been faded.

 

Guanlin looked through little statues and figures of mermaids, along with a few other items of other representations of aquatic life that were damaged and corroded by water. He noticed a jar of vibrant scales, all in different hues, but reflecting the light with the same, shimmering glow.

 

“Mermaids?” Guanlin asked softly, voice flat and ringing with disbelief. “Like, as in Ariel from the Little Mermaid? Those made-up fish people…”

 

“They’re not made up,” His grandfather interjected. Despite Guanlin’s rudeness, his tone stayed light with playfulness, teasing him, almost as if Guanlin was the stupid one here. “I’ve met one.” He added.

 

“You’ve met a mermaid?” Guanlin repeated with a with a skeptic frown.

 

His grandfather nodded, “Oh, yeah."

 

Guanlin waited for an explanation. He waited for his grandfather to elaborate somehow—try to convince him that ‘mermaids’ where actual live, breathing things that existed on this planet, but the man only smiled again, dismissively patting Guanlin on the shoulder.

 

“I’m going out for a bit,” He quickly said, changing the subject and guiding Guanlin away from the table. “I put all your stuff in your old bedroom, you should probably rest.”

 

“Where are you going?”

 

“Fishing,” His grandfather said, “In the sea.”

 

Guanlin fell silent.

 

“Do you… want to come with me?” The other asked after a careful, deliberate pause.

 

A shiver ran up Guanlin’s spine and the hairs on the nape of his neck prickled. He knew his grandfather was just asking to be polite, or hopeful that maybe Guanlin had changed since his accident eight years ago.

 

He felt his lip tremble, unable to form words, and his lungs convulsed against his ribcage. For a moment, he was lost in his thoughts, swallowed by an inexistent water around him, and drowning in the present. His ears rung with white noise, and for a second, he forgot how to breathe. Guanlin cleared his throat hard, blinking rapidly, pulling himself back into reality with a sequence of five notes repeating in his brain. “I, uh… No.” He shook his head quickly, clenching and unclenching his hands at his sides. He forced a small, believable smile on his face. “ _N-No thanks_. I’m good.”

 

His grandfather nodded, shooting him a sympathetic expression. “I understand.”

 

Then, it was quiet, save for his grandpa's slight shifting.

 

The other looked like he wanted to say something more, his eyes somber and regretful, like he wanted to apologize for something. And at that moment, Guanlin wondered, what would he have apologized for? Would he have apologized for what had happened eight years ago? Or would it have been an apology for losing touch with his grandson ever since then, making it awkward between the two of them now.

 

But it didn’t matter because the words died in his throat before he could say anything. Instead, Guanlin watched as his grandfather grabbed for his old fishing hat and headed towards the door. But before he could leave, he turned back with a smile. “Rest well, okay? I’ll be back soon.”

 

“Yeah,” Guanlin breathed with a short nod. “Thanks.”

 

His grandpa gave him a two-fingered salute, and with that, he was gone.

 

 

 

 

 

It only took Guanlin an hour to unpack, bringing just a few changes of clothes and his laptop.

 

Just like most of his grandfather’s house, his old bedroom was exactly how he remembered it, which would have been fine if he weren’t nine the last time he’d stayed.

 

The room was tiny. Far too tiny for Guanlin now. He sat on the edge of his twin-sized bed, made neatly with clean sheets and whales patterning the blankets. The bed creaked under his weight and skidded across the wooden floors when he adjusted his position ever so slightly.

 

The room was dainty—most of the furniture being white and blue; a color scheme that he used to love since it reminded him of the ocean. There was a small dresser with an equally small closet in the corner, and his nightstand barely reached his waist now, his head almost hitting the fan hovering only a few inches below the ceiling. The entire room reminded him of his youth; his curtains sporting a colorful, striped pattern and the walls decorated with various aquatic animals. There was even Guanlin’s old toy box, pushed back into the far corner and left untouched after all the years he’d been absent. He opened the little chest, and in it, he found his old Dolphin plush with various other boats and pails that he used bring to the shore with him to play.

 

He was reminded how much he loved to be by the water. For a second, Guanlin wondered what his life would have been like if he had continued to love it— _if he hadn’t drowned_. Instead of taking up basketball, baseball, and track, would he have become a swimmer? Would he have even learned to swim? Would he have been able to sleep without always feeling like he were suffocating?

 

Guanlin was pulled from his thoughts when his phone suddenly went off. The screen told him that it was his mother.

 

“Hello?” He answered after the third ring.

 

“Guanlin, baby,” She cooed, voice muffled by the horrible phone reception. “How are you? Did you arrive?”

 

“I’m fine,” Guanlin replied. “And I’m here now, too. Did you arrive?”

 

“Yes, we made it to New York safe,” She confirmed.

 

“That’s good.”

 

She then launched a series of questions at her son, demanding to know about little thing: wondering how the weather was out there, asking about how his trip had been— _things like that_. And Guanlin dutifully answered all of them, easing his mother’s mind, and then eventually whining about her endless concerns.

 

They talked for a bit longer before she paused, finally asking, “So… how’s grandpa?”

 

“He’s fine—same old grandpa.” He chuckled lightly.

 

His mom hesitated. “Really?” Her voice was quiet, barely audible over the static.

 

“Well, yeah? I-I mean… _mostly_ …” His voice trailed off.

 

He heard his mother inhale sharply, anxious for what her son was definitely going to mention next.

 

“Did he, um, always have this… interest for ‘ _mermaids_?’” He asked cautiously.

 

His mother sighed into the receiver. “No, I—” She quickly stopped what she was saying, static filling the speakers for a long moment. When she began to speak again, she almost sounded disappointed. “I mean, not always…”

 

Guanlin waited for her to continue.

 

“It’s just… a little hobby that he’s picked up since the last time we visited,” She affirmed. “That’s all.”

 

“O-Okay,” Guanlin replied, unsure of what that meant or why she had said it that way.

 

_“Okay?”_

 

“Yeah, it’s okay,” He repeated.

 

He could almost hear his mother smile. She exhaled in relief. “Good.”

 

They were quiet for a few seconds, letting their conversation sink in, before his mother finally spoke up again.

 

“Alright, baby, I better get going now. Take care, okay? Mommy and Daddy miss you very much. Try to have fun, and stay safe! Don’t forget to put on lots of sunscreen, because I know how sunny it gets and—”

 

“I get it, I get it,” Guanlin laughed softly. “Love you.”

 

She sighed. “Alright, _fine_. I love you too, sweetie. I’ll call again soon, okay?” He heard his mom kiss the receiver. “Bye now!”

 

“Bye.”

 

He hung up.

 

Guanlin fell back into his tiny bed and stared up at the ceiling, watching the little toy boats and planes strung up there, sway with the gentle breeze. They chimed, and the sound ringing softly in the air—soon casting shadows on the walls of his room. Guanlin figured that the sun was setting now and, with it, the humidity faded as well.

 

As Guanlin lay in bed, his mind buzzed with endless chains of thoughts. He was going to be here for _three_ _whole_ _months_. Just him, his grandpa, the town, and the big, open sea. He wondered what his time here would be like, and how the people would treat him or if he’d have any fun.

 

But in the midst of all of these thoughts, tiredness from his entire day took over, and Guanlin eventually fell into a deep slumber.

 

 

 

 

 

Soon enough, a week had passed by, and Guanlin quickly grew familiar with everything in the small fishing town.

 

It wasn’t intentional though. Actually, _if Guanlin had gotten to do things his way_ , he probably wouldn’t have left the house within the first month. However, not even a day after his arrival, Guanlin was brutally woken up by his grandfather five minutes before the sunrise and he was immediately put to work.

 

From that day forward, Guanlin played the role of 'Errand Boy' for his grandpa while the old man went to sea, fishing or doing _god knows what_.

 

Guanlin still remembered how horrible the first day had been for him; the air was still chilly and damp, with the sun barely peeking over the horizon. He wore nothing but shorts and a jacket with hood pulled tight around his messy hair, having just been woken up only moments ago.

 

Guanlin knew he looked like a wreck. His eyes were sunken in, and his cheeks were swollen red. He didn’t have it in his heart to tell his grandfather about his condition—that every day, he woke to a tightening pain in his chest due to the repetitive, intense dreams of him dying and then pulled back to life by some mysterious figure in the water.

 

It usually took Guanlin about ten minutes to gather himself in the morning, but _that_ day, he was hastily yanked out of bed and thrown outside with nothing but a sloppily drawn map in one hand and a list of things he had to do in another.

 

Guanlin squinted at the map with mild irritation, following the scribbles as well as he could. He remembered the foul mood he had been in—his throat still feeling like it was clogged and his heart beating irregularly in his chest.

 

That all changed, however, when he found himself stumbling in a flower shop. ‘ _Buy peonies for the dinner table,’_ was what the first thing that his list had instructed.

 

The second he had walked in, he heard an elderly woman gasp from behind the counter. She ran up to him, and grabbed him by the hand with a warm smile on her face. “ _My word_ , is that my precious Guanlin?”

 

“Mrs. Lin?” Guanlin blinked. She was a bit older now, with grey streaks in her hair and her laugh lines more defined. But even after all these years, her bright personality was still the same, making it easy for Guanlin to recognize her.

 

“Yes!” She beamed, pulling off his hood and rubbing his cheeks with adoration. “ _Look at you!”_ She cooed, “All grown up!” She stepped back to take a look at him. “Not so little anymore, huh?”

 

Guanlin smiled all teeth and gums. “Yeah,” He breathed. “It’s good to see you.” He had almost forgotten Mrs. Lin, and it pained him to realize that. She had always been so good to him, like a distant relative. Guanlin recalled the delicious cookies that she always made and how she’d always stop to feed him a batch whenever he’d pass by on his way to the beach.

 

“I swear, everyone’s growing faster than my sweet peas,” She chuckled heartily. She led Guanlin over to a stool and motioned for him to sit. “Have you been around the town yet?”

 

Guanlin shook his head. “No. Not yet. But from the looks of this list, I’m probably going to.”

 

Mrs. Lin took a peek at the paper his grandfather had given him. “Oh, poor baby,” She sighed sympathetically. “That’s so much work, and you look so shaken and drained. Is everything okay?”

 

Guanlin nodded. “Yeah, I’m good.”

 

But the look on his face wasn’t enough to convince her. “Wait here,” is what she said before disappearing behind the counter. And only few moments later, she popped back up with a tupperware of cookies in hand. “I made these for the little squirts who run by here every morning, but by the looks of it, you probably need the sugar more than they do,” She explained with a gentle laugh.

 

Guanlin couldn’t help but to smile at her, taking one and reminiscently turning it around in his hand. “Thanks,” He whispered before putting it in his mouth.

 

The taste was heavenly. It was just as delicious and _just_ as sweet as he remembered, making him feel all warm and happy as if he were a kid again. Guanlin groaned with delight and grabbed for another.

 

Mrs. Lin chuckled. “I’m glad to hear you’re enjoying them,” She said as Guanlin enthusiastically stuffed cookie after cookie into his mouth. “So, what brings you to my little shop today?”

 

“Peonies,” Guanlin replied with a mouth full of pastries. He pointed at his list.

 

“Got it!”

 

She then went off to the back and returned with a bundle of peonies and a separate bouquet. “Guanlin, sweetie, can you give these to the Huang’s? It’s their anniversary today and it looks like their bakery is next on your list,” She requested with a hopeful grin.

 

Guanlin shoved another cookie into his already stuffed mouth and nodded, grabbing both of the items. “Sure!”

 

“Thank you, darling,” She said, beaming.

 

He paid and, before she would let Guanlin leave, Mrs. Lin mentioned that he was welcome to come back and visit any time, which Guanlin replied to with a happy nod.

 

The rest of his day was filled with people—some he knew from years ago and some that he’d never seen in his life. He easily memorized everyone’s names and every building on each of the four roads of the town. All the people he met greeted him nicely, already treating him as a member of their small, tight-knit community, too.

 

After his meeting with Mrs. Lin, Guanlin did, in fact, have to go to the bakery. There he met the newly wed Huang couple.

 

Guanlin recognized Mr. Huang instantly, the man being his senior by ten years. He remembered that he had tried to teach him to swim a few summers prior to his ninth, which, ultimately, ended up in a failure. However, Mrs. Huang was new. Apparently, they had gotten married in the city and decided to move back to the little fishing town that Mr. Huang had grown up in.

 

The pair welcomed him into their bakery with the same amount of happiness as Mrs. Lin. And, just like her, they gave Guanlin a slice of cake to deliver to the person next on his list—claiming that the child to that particular shopkeeper wasn’t feeling well.

 

From then on, it was a loop; Guanlin would find himself doing favors and then getting stopped to help other people. Everyone gave him messages to pass onto the next person on his list, or send him off with another gift. Some of them stopped him to hold a conversation or use a bit of his time to catch up with him—asking had he’d been for the past eight years. Nothing got in the way of what he was doing, but he was still shocked, rather, because everyone in the town was so close to one another.

 

And by the end of the day, Guanlin had realized that he actually had quite a bit of fun. He liked getting to know everyone in the town, and things started to feel almost homey. Guanlin decided then that this place wasn’t going to be that bad as he thought, and that he might even enjoy having to do this for another three months.

 

 

 

 

 

Guanlin shot out of bed one particular morning, heaving.

 

He was drenched in a thin layer of sweat—his entire body cold and shaking. Guanlin's heart thumped hard and loud against his ribcage, wracking his entire being, and the swirled mark on his chest squeezed with the same unyielding pressure as it always did after his explicit dreams of drowning.

 

Guanlin gasped and tried to compose himself. The dreams had been growing more and more vivid as the days passed to the point where he could still feel the water around him—the weight of the sea crushing him—even in this awakened state.

 

It was the same dream as it always was, but this time, only slightly different. He saw the eyes more clearly, and they pooled with more emotion than Guanlin had ever seen before. The hand felt real as well, tender and steady, pressing gently against his chest and pumping life into his body with one simple touch.

 

Guanlin shivered and clutched at his chest even tighter, coiling in on himself, not in pain, but in panic. His lips were parted and trembling, sucking in quick, shallow breaths that did absolutely nothing for him.

 

In this state of mental disarray, he could only do one thing—the only remedy to these breakdowns that he knew of. Guanlin recalled the voice again. Singing to him five notes that flowed together in a beautiful song. And, just as it always did, the melody relaxed him—willed his heart to slow to a calming, rhythmic beat.

 

Guanlin exhaled in peace. But that peace didn’t last for long when his grandfather suddenly kicked open the door to his bedroom with a big smile on his face, which quickly fell once he laid eyes on his grandson’s disheveled figure.

 

“You okay, ‘Lin?” He asked, voice full of concern. He stood frozen at the doorway, inspecting him from afar.

 

Guanlin rose from bed on shaky legs. “ _Yeah_ ,” He tried to say, but his voice cracked, making it sound like he was, in fact, _not okay_. He cleared his throat and tried again. “Yeah,” He affirmed hastily. “I’m fine.”

 

“You sure?”

 

“Definitely. Why?”

 

His grandfather searched him for a minute before murmuring a soft, “No reason," then fully entered Guanlin’s room to open his curtains. “I’ve got a few things I need you to do for me today,” He announced.

 

“Again?” Guanlin winced once the sun hit his eyes. He extended his hand, reaching for the new list his grandfather instantly supplied from his vest pocket.

 

“Of course! No grandson of _mine_ is going to laze around on his butt all summer.” He cheered. “Breakfast is on the table, I’ll see you later, sport.”

 

Guanlin laid in bed for a few more minutes, listening to the sound of his grandfather’s rubber boots squeak and thump against the wooden floors. He heard the front door swing open and then slam shut, signaling to Guanlin that he, too, had to start his day.

 

His morning was hectic. After watering the flowers, dusting the furniture, and doing the laundry, Guanlin was sent all around the town to pick up things from various shops.

 

He stopped by to greet Mrs. Lin hello, which she then responded to by pulling Guanlin off to the side to feed him one of her delicious cookies. After that, he swung by the bakery—actually having to get a few loaves of bread—and the Huang’s also conversed with him for a while. Guanlin then wandered about the area gathering various things until his backpack was full, and soon enough, the boy found himself in a little tool store that served as both a place to buy fishing and regular building supplies.

 

According to his list, he had to buy a pack of nails.

 

When Guanlin entered the tiny, wooden shack, he was greeted by a small group of fishermen situated around the counter, talking to the clerk.

 

“Guanlin!” One of them called, his voice gruff with age. The man held a hand up in the air in a ‘hello.’

 

“Hey, Mr. Wu,” Guanlin replied and stepped towards them with his list in hand.

 

Upon closer inspection, another one of the older men spoke up. “Ah, aren’t you that one geezer’s grandson?”

 

“Who?” Guanlin asked. He looked at the old man and realized that he hadn’t seen him around before, concluding that he was probably sailing in from another town and stopping by to pick up supplies or have a chat before he carried on.

 

“You know, the mermaid-obsessed feller,” He elaborated slowly.

 

Guanlin flinched as a taunting smile spread across the other’s face.

 

As the initial week had passed by, Guanlin learned a lot of things about the town. He had learned names and the relationships everyone had with one another. He also learned that his grandpa was infamous for his obsessive passion for mermaids. In passing, Guanlin would sometimes hear people talking about his grandpa, giggling to each other, sometimes even stopping him to ask if his grandpa had ever caught the mermaid he was looking for. Which, he hadn’t. _Obviously_.

 

Rather than being upset about it, however; he just found the little ‘hobby’ silly.

 

Every night, or really, every chance that his grandpa got, he would tell Guanlin all about mermaids. When they would eat lunch or dinner together, his grandpa would ramble on, explaining to him about the lore and legend behind these mystical creatures. He explained to him how beautiful they were, yet how deadly they could be. And Guanlin only idly listened, not really caring because their existence just wasn’t logical. He still paid attention the most he could, though. More for the sake of his grandpa since he seemed to be really passionate about it—just as passionate about the subject as he was for the sea.

 

“Yeah, I’m his grandson,” Guanlin replied with a nod.

 

The man searched him for a second, eyes teasing and his smile growing wider on his face. “Okay” was all that he said before turning around with a light chuckle.

 

Guanlin ignored him with a pointed glare, and turned to the clerk instead. “I need a box of nails…” He began.

 

“Ah, for the storm?”

 

“There’s going to be a storm?”

 

“You didn’t hear?” The clerk replied, grinning easily. He was a young man, maybe in his thirties. Guanlin knew he had a kid who he taught to shoot basketballs some time during his little errand run. “It’s supposed to hit later tonight.” The man added before he turned around and started rummaging through a few boxes, whistling.

 

“I didn’t know…” Guanlin replied. He sounded a bit frightened, and it was probably apparent in his voice because the clerk waved reassuringly.

 

“Don’t worry about it. From the looks of it, your grandpa is already preparing for it,” He explained. “Probably gonna board up the windows with these.” He held up a box of nails and slid them towards the teenager.

 

Guanlin handed the man some money before opening his list of things he had to do and, sure enough, at the very bottom was: _Help me board up the windows._

 

“Ah, right,” Guanlin said. And the man nodded warmly. “Thank you.”

 

As he headed out the door, the clerk called, “Stay safe! And don’t forget to seal your door!”

 

“Will do,” Guanlin replied. “You too.”

 

Later that night, he helped his grandpa board up the windows. What started out as a normal, sunny day, quickly worsened, and before the last window was securely covered, a harsh gust of wind blew and the sea began to kick up with the tide rising.

 

Guanlin looked to the horizon with terrified eyes, watching as the storm intensified before him.

 

“Don’t worry, sport,” He heard his grandfather say, snapping him from his trance. “We’re safe up here. The tides won’t reach us at this elevation.”

 

Guanlin gulped, nodding shakily. And it was then that he felt his grandpa give him a tight, one-armed hug.

 

“I won’t let anything happen to you.”

 

At his words, the teenager relaxed, and gently wrapping his arm around his grandfather as well. “Thanks... _Really_ ,” He whispered.

 

“No problem, kiddo.” He replied, then led Guanlin back into the house. “No going out for the next two days, okay?”

 

“Two days?!” Guanlin gaped.

 

“Yep. Two days. It’ll be dangerous going out during the storm, so I hope you got all the food I asked for.”

 

“I did… but _two days?_ What are we going to do for that long?”

 

“I can teach you more about mermaids.”

 

Guanlin rolled his eyes with a grin and his grandfather laughed.

 

 

 

 

 

The storm indeed lasted for two days. And during those two days, Guanlin and his grandfather did countless of things.

 

Unfortunately, there wasn’t any phone reception, and the satellite dish probably took a blow because an hour into the first morning, they lost connection to everything involving the Internet and television. The power also had its moments, turning on and off during various parts of the day as the wind blasted against the house, shaking all the windows and the walls.

 

The sounds of waves crashing and nearing the house sent Guanlin into a frenzy, but his grandfather distracted him by pulling out random board games from the basement and flipping through various photo books with him, filled with memories from summers and summers ago.

 

Of course, it wouldn’t have been his grandfather if he hadn’t mentioned a thing or two about mermaids. He told Guanlin stories of mermaid encounters by sailors, and things that he’d seen and picked up during his trips out to sea. He even grabbed a few items from his little collection, explaining to Guanlin what they meant in respect to these magical creatures. He taught Guanlin that if he were to ever encounter a mermaid, to never look them in the eye, and if he were to hear them sing, then he could kiss his life goodbye.

 

Which, Guanlin barely took to heart.

 

During those two days, sleeping proved itself to be much more difficult than usual as well.

 

On the first night, Guanlin’s chest squeezed so painfully that he actually woke up before his dream could fully finish. He sat in bed, panting, clutching at the mark on his chest and trying to calm down. The sounds of the house creaking and the windows rattling with the storm were more acute to his ears, ringing in his brain and making him dizzy. His entire room whirled around him and all the noises distracted him, hurt him, before he could finally remember the song.

 

The second night was just as bad, and he wasn't able to fall asleep for an hour afterwards.

 

But eventually the storm passed, and with it, the weather changed completely as if someone just flipped a switch and the entire area was sunny again.

 

Guanlin and his grandfather carefully took a step outside and found the sea colored its normal shade of light blue, mirroring the sky above them. But unlike before, there was debris littered everywhere.

 

“Welp, looks like we’ve got our job cut out for us,” His grandfather chirped, clapping his hands together. Guanlin was shocked to see that his grandpa didn’t even look the tiniest bit surprised to see the horrible wreckage, which probably meant that this happened quite a bit. “You can start cleaning up the front. I’m going to go check on my boat and see how the rest of the town is holding up.”

 

And with that, he left.

 

Guanlin spent about an hour and a half cleaning up pieces of wood and other chunks of rubbish from their lawn. He carefully set them into a bin to be disposed of later. From the looks of it, everyone else was having a rough time and he idly thought that maybe he’d check up on Mrs. Lin later to see if she needed any help.

 

It was only a few moments after he had started taking down the boards from the windows that his grandfather came back.

 

“I’m going out to sea with a few other lads to help clean up the water for a bit. It looks like you’re doing a great job! Just keep it up. If you get hungry there’s snacks in the fridge, I’ll be back later!” And he left again.

 

It took about two more hours until Guanlin had eventually gotten mostly everything cleaned up. Him and his grandpa were lucky, being in the last house at the corner of the town; they only suffered a small margin in comparison to the others. So once he dubbed his work satisfactory, Guanlin went out to check up on everyone else.

 

Guanlin roamed the streets and helped out a neighbor or two with debris that was either far too heavy for them to lift or far too high for them to reach. Everyone seemed to be lending a hand with one another’s stuff, all working together to restore their town to its previous condition. Guanlin eventually swung by Mrs. Lin’s place as well but, unsurprisingly, she already received help from a few of the kids who swept up some of her broken flowerpots and fixed her front door. Which was understandable, because Mrs. Lin was a town favorite.

 

Soon enough, the day flew by, and most of the place was back to normal—save for a bit of debris still in the water and a few larger chunks of metal that would have to be picked up by something stronger than a handful of people.

 

Guanlin returned back to his grandfather’s house as the sun was setting and found his relative already sitting at the table, food prepared and waiting.

 

“Welcome back!” He chimed, turning to the teenager as he stepped in through the door. “What were you up to?”

 

“Just helping out…” Guanlin answered, shucking his shoes off and washing his hands at the kitchen sink. He sat at the chair across from his grandpa and the two of them started to eat.

 

“I’ve heard that you’ve been getting familiar with the rest of the town,” His grandfather mentioned. “You liking it so far?”

 

“Yeah, everyone is really nice,” Guanlin answered.

 

“Good to hear,” His grandfather beamed. “Are you making any new friends?”

 

“Not really,” Guanlin hummed after some thought. He paused for a few moments, staring down at his soup contemplatively. “But I don’t mind hanging out with some of the kids in passing. Mrs. Lin is really nice to talk to as well.”

 

“I’m sure you’ll make friends soon. But other than that, I’m glad you’re having fun,” He replied.

 

And Guanlin nodded in response.

 

Eventually the two of them finished eating, washed up, and went off to bed—bidding each other a good night’s rest.

 

But while his grandfather rested well, Guanlin did not.

 

He dreamt again— _his usual dream_ —the one from his memory of floating in the depths of the sea, and sinking into that same, never-ending abyss of blue.

 

Except this time, Guanlin noticed, things were different. _Very, very different_.

 

He wasn’t drowning. Instead, Guanlin was just… _there_. Suspended in the water and unmoving. He was breathing somehow, with the ocean at a standstill all around him, and the emptiness of the area stretching further and further than he could ever recall.

 

It was peaceful, _calm_ , yet so very strange. Almost _eerie_ in a way.

 

Suddenly, Guanlin saw the eyes again; dark and glistening—familiar—just as they always have been. Except now, there wasn’t a swarm of bubbles obscuring his vision, and he could almost make out a face. It was weird, though, because no matter how hard he tried, Guanlin couldn’t see the rest of the figure’s form. He _knew_ that there was a face attached to these eyes, and attached to this face there was probably a body—but his brain just couldn’t conjure up an image. The only thing that he could perceive were the eyes but this time, they were impatient and… _angry_.

 

He watched as a hand came into his vision and pressed against his chest as it did many times before. But instead of feeling warm and gentle, it sent a crushing pain surging throughout his entire body, squeezing and tightening, as if he was being punished for something and he didn’t know what.

 

Guanlin gasped at the sensation, and instead of inhaling air, water filled his mouth and it cascaded into his lungs. He was drowning now, his mind exploding into a panicked overdrive. He felt his esophagus spasm violently and he choked, desperately trying to breathe in oxygen.

 

The hand pushed harder against him, holding him firmly, and instead of hearing the song, he heard a voice speaking in a language that he hadn’t heard of before. It was beautiful, just as much as it was urgent. The sentences poured from the figures mouth with each word flowing together with the next, like a stream flooding into a river and trickling into the valleys of his mind. The consonants were gentle and the vowels even softer. Each sentence rang almost like a lullaby.

 

Before Guanlin could black out, he looked back up at the figure, but this time, its eyes were kind and apologetic. Even though he couldn’t see it, the figure… _smiled at him—_

 

Guanlin shot up from his bed with a shout.

 

He gasped and heaved for oxygen, but nothing could stifle the squeezing pain in his chest that sent his body into a trembling mess. He cried out, muffling the sound with his pillow and curling in on himself. Guanlin brought his knees up to his chest and sobbed dryly into arms, shoulders shaking under his blankets.

 

His mind was in deep disarray; thoughts pouring into his head and filling him to the brim. He recalled the dream vividly, wondering what that was, why things were so different this time. He tried to remember the song but its melody slipped from his memory—he couldn’t recollect its tune since he hadn’t heard it in this particular dream.

 

A few minutes passed and eventually, he calmed down enough to think coherently. Yet, he was still shaken by the dream and with that, he stood up.

 

Guanlin paced around his room with his face buried in his palms. He tripped over his own feet and clawed at his scalp, pulling back his hair and walking in circles.

 

He felt trapped in here—like his room was suffocating him just as if he were drowning in the water. All of a sudden, he decided that he needed to leave.

 

Without a second’s hesitation, Guanlin burst out of his room. He grabbed a jacket, shoved on his shoes, and stepped out the door, running into the night.

 

 

 

 

 

Guanlin didn’t know where he was going, nor did he care.

 

As he strode aimlessly through the streets, there were only two things on his mind: escape and calm down.

 

He wandered around the town, pacing up and down the only four roads in a repetitive loop. He continued to walk for _hours_ , but in his head, the time ticked by like minutes. Eventually, he tired himself out, forcing himself into an exhaustion-induced peace. He didn’t feel as well as he did when he had the song, but this was as good as it was going to get, Guanlin thought.

 

With heavy legs, Guanlin turned to walk home, deciding that he should probably head back before his grandfather discovered his absence. So, he padded through the main street with his hands shoved deep within his pockets, too tired to look anywhere but his feet. 

 

Yet, out of the corner of his vision, Guanlin saw the sea—crystal clear and twinkling at him under the bright moonlight—urging him to come look.

 

Guanlin stopped in his tracks and succumbed; taking a seat at a bench and deciding that there was still some time for him to kill before his grandfather woke up.

 

The sea was calm tonight, as if there hadn’t been a storm only a day ago. The sounds of the waves lapping rhythmically at the shore filled Guanlin’s ears, and the boats bobbing gently in the water lulled him into a sleepy daze. He stared out at the ocean, blinking slowly and thoughtfully, hating it for what it was and loving it for the same exact reason. He found peace looking out at the sea like this, admiring its beauty and allure, which was ironic because it was also the very thing that reduced him to this pitiful state of shambles.

 

He continued to sit, gazing out into the deep blue where the sky met the ocean. Everything was still, save for the occasional breeze that kicked up a spray of water and filled his nostrils with the familiar scent of salt.

 

Guanlin thought that the town’s local sailors actually did a pretty good job today picking up all the excess debris from the water. However, there were still a few chunks of wood floating out there, which was understandable considering how the storm had come at such a sudden, unexpected time.

 

He watched as a bit of wreckage drifted by before turning away to look somewhere else. But as he turned, something stirred out of the corner of his vision that had his eyes snapping back in alert.

 

He rose from his seat, taking a few steps forward, now standing frozen in the sand. He squinted his eyes in disbelief, rubbing them with his palms and staring even harder than before, trying to figure out if what he was seeing was real or if his mind was messing around with him in his sleepiness.

 

After a few moments of careful observation, Guanlin’s eyes widened, and it was then that he realized that there indeed  _was_ a person lying in the middle of all the debris; upper body lifelessly thrown over a wooden plank and slowly being carried away by the current.

 

Guanlin gaped in horror, not knowing what to do. He watched as the boy was quickly taken further and further away, and on instinct, Guanlin began to run after him, chasing him along the shoreline.

 

He ran as fast as his long legs would carry him, his feet digging into the sand and then screeching against the concrete of the street. He turned, stumbling, and navigated his way across the broken road, eyes never leaving the boy and watching to see where he was headed.

 

It was then that it occurred to Guanlin that the boy would be passing by one of the piers soon, so with as much strength as he could muster, the teenager quickened his pace and sprinted his way down the pier, feet unsteady, and clattering loudly against the wooden floors.

 

He shuddered to a halt once he reached the end of the pier; breathing hard and sweating out of combined nervousness and exhaustion. Thankfully, he made it before the boy could pass, and if his calculations were right, Guanlin could easily reach over and pull the boy up as he floated by.

 

Without another hesitation, Guanlin laid himself flat against the floor of the pier, nails digging into the wood and reaching out over the water.

 

But it was then that his eyes shot down to look at the waves rising up beneath him, and realization hit him hard in one fatal blow.

 

Guanlin scrambled back from over the end of the pier into a sitting position, heaving with bile rising in his throat. In his state of panic, Guanlin hadn’t even fully registered what he was doing—losing control of his body and bending over the water like that. All that was coursing through his mind was that _he had to save the boy_.

 

He was numb with fear as he panted, looking between the edge of the pier and the boy who was only moments away from fully drifting by. Guanlin realized that he had to make a choice. And fast.

 

Guanlin squeezed his eyes shut and balled his hands into fists, digging his face into his knees and crying out loudly in frustration. His arms and legs were shaking, and his heart was thrashing hard in his chest, beating ruthlessly in his throat. He buried his face between his knees, growing more and more desperate as the seconds ticked by.

 

His mind was screaming at him, fighting him, telling him to get away from the water and never look back. But his heart was aching and pleading, urging him to suck up his fears for just a _minute_ so that he could potentially save this person’s life.

 

Guanlin felt tears brimming in his eyes and his mind was sent into hysteria. He was torn between rationality and fear, each emotion ripping him apart from the inside and out, but once he laid eyes on the boy’s limp figure again, helplessly being carried away, Guanlin growled and shot back over the pier, laying dangerously over the edge and reaching out as far as he could.

 

“HEY!!” Guanlin called, voice loud and cracking.

 

The boy didn’t move, and Guanlin reached out further.

 

“WAKE UP!!” He cried.

 

But it was pointless. Guanlin whimpered in panic, anxiously clutching onto the side of the pier, knuckles turning a blinding white. He tried to extend his arm out further, but he realized in that moment, the boy would be just out of reach—

 

Guanlin grit his teeth and whispered, _“Come on, come on, come on, come on—”_

 

He teetered over the edge, inching further and further out, stretching his arm as far as it could safely go.

 

But the boy slipped by; his hair barely brushing against Guanlin’s fingertips, too far for to pull to safety.

 

“NO! WAIT!” Guanlin screamed, his heart crumbling in his chest.

 

He was crushed with defeat, swiping desperately at the boy and praying for him to slow so that he could possibly try to wake someone up to help at this point.

 

But as if Guanlin’s slight touch had triggered something, the boy suddenly pulled his head up and calmly turned to look at him.

 

Guanlin breathed a sigh of relief, thinking to himself that everything was going to be okay now, and that the other was going to be safe. So he smiled.

 

But his relief was short lived when the boy, quickly, grabbed for Guanlin’s wrist and yanked on him. _Hard._

 

Guanlin’s entire torso was forced over the edge of the pier—the water practically spraying in his face. Instantly, the gravity of the situation fell on him and Guanlin screamed, loud and echoing in the night, but the sound was swallowed up by the crashing waves.

 

He tried to pull his hand away, but the boy’s grip was tight, eyes watching and never leaving Guanlin’s face as he struggled to scramble back fully onto the safety of the pier.

 

His heart was racing faster than it ever had before. Guanlin clawed hard onto the wood, his blunt nails digging into the floor and slipping as the strange boy continued to use his arm as leverage to pull himself closer to Guanlin.

 

 _“PLEASE—”_ Guanlin gasped loudly with entire body shaking and his shoulders starting to give out. “ _I-I CAN’T FALL IN— I’M AFRAID—”_ He cried, voice breaking and desperately trying to tug his hand back.

 

But his pleads fell silent to the other boy’s ears. His grip only tightened.

 

Guanlin couldn’t think anymore, nor could he say anything. All he could do was watch through tear-blurred vision as the boy sunk into the water—his grasp never leaving Guanlin's wrist—and reappeared right below where he was positioned over the pier.

 

The strange boy stared at him sharply, observing his every move as closely as Guanlin was observing him. And once he was close enough, it was then that Guanlin realized, that the boy’s pupils were slits and almost... _familiar_ in a way.

 

The boy held Guanlin’s eyes in a steady trance, and Guanlin was mesmerized just as much as he was scared.

 

Out of the corner of his vision, he suddenly saw something slither up and out of the water, and Guanlin’s lips parted, trembling.

 

 _"It can't_ _be…'_ He thought.

 

The _merman_ gripped at Guanlin’s wrist tighter and pulled him closer so that they were face-to-face, eyes now boring into his. His tail swished in the water, rising a few inches out, before slipping back beneath the waves.

 

Guanlin didn’t even have time to react because in one short moment, the merman yanked at Guanlin’s arm a final time, forcing him right over the edge of the pier. And the last thing that Guanlin saw before he fainted, was the cold, dark water rushing towards him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AAAAYYYYyyyyy ok before yall get mad at me, I wanna make ONE thing clear. yea im also writing the winter we met and no I will not be prioritizing one over the other. look, u guys, I don’t have a life and I have 2 weeks of winter break left. im gonna be powering through BOTH fics with the same amount of love and passion because panwink is literally the only thing I care about. that and pizza :o
> 
> anyway, YO I AM SO FUCKING HYPED TO BE WRITING THIS FIC U CANNOT BELIEEEVEEE!!!!! /CLAPS I love writing fantasy aus can u tell….  
> I feel like such a bad mom for making guanlin suffer like this rip. but also :o its my first Big Fic that’s guanlin centric!!!!!!! widdwle son uwu  
> also did u guys know that hydrophobia and aquaphobia are TWO different things?? I totally didn’t know until I looked it up for this fic LOL… wild. I thought that hydrophobia was what aquaphobia was… but apparently hydrophobia has something to do with rabies?? idk  
> lmao if u were wondering, yea I based the little town off of the one in barakamon, and if ur getting aquamarine/little mermaid vibes from this, then ur right about that too LOL
> 
> ANYWAY, im trying out so many new things with this fic so bear with me!!! this is not a writing style im familiar with at all (being in the past tense and very um… poetic? idk) but imma try my best :’D so hopefully I pull through!! *A*
> 
> I’ll be alternating between updating this and updating twwm so!!! expect a chapter up next week or, if not, a little later. THANKS FOR READING THIS!! IM SUPER EXCITED AND I HOPE U ARE TOO!! :D I’D LOVE TO HEAR UR THOUGHTS AND I’LL SEE U GUYS NEXT TIME!!
> 
> [twt](https://twitter.com/onguanlinnie) / [cc](https://curiouscat.me/coppercoin)


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> /wipes a single tear from my eyes  
> God I love being the corniest bitch on this entire planet  
> and also I have the imagination of a 3-year-old because this is literally ponyo
> 
> enjoy! And oh yea nothing new but I have no self control and this fic isn't 3 chapters long anymore :)

Guanlin couldn’t remember the last time he had woken up so peacefully…

 

His skin prickled comfortably; he was seemingly resting under stripes of patched sunlight that tinted the darkness of his closed eyes with swirls of reds and oranges. Guanlin felt like he was floating—mentally and physically—with his mind still teetering somewhere between the realms of consciousness, numb to any thoughts other than the fact that he never wanted to get up.

 

Hours seemed to pass, and with time, Guanlin grew conscious enough hear the sound of humming; feel the sensation of fingers softly threading through his hair and brushing his bangs back. Repeating the pleasant motion over and over again and willing him to rest easily.

 

When he shifted again, the humming paused and the fingers stopped moving, waiting, as if hopeful that he’d wake up. But after a long while of silence, the voice picked back up again, only this time, Guanlin recognized the tune.

 

His ears perked listening to the melody; each note growing more and more familiar as the song continued. Once the voice hummed five notes that Guanlin knew all too well, he finally opened his eyes, blinking rapidly at the aching sunlight and focusing on the shadowed figure bent over him.

 

Guanlin thought that he was still dreaming, not only because he was hearing the song, but also because the eyes that stared down at him were the exact same eyes that always appeared in his visions; dark and clear, steady and glistening.

 

Guanlin slowly sat up, his muscles sore and protesting against his every movement—begging him to lay back down. But the pain he was feeling was overpowered by shock as he examined the boy in front of him in stunned wonder, thinking about how weird it was that he couldn’t recognize this person, yet feeling as though like they’d known each other for a long, _long_ time.

 

“Who—” Guanlin whispered. But his words were cut off when the boy broke out into a gentle grin and unexpectedly hugged him, sighing happily and muttering a few words that Guanlin couldn’t understand.

 

He tensed up. “W-What are you doing?? Do I know you?” He stammered, struggling in the boy’s grasp.

 

But the other just continued to hold him, stifling Guanlin's question by cradling his head into his shoulder and stroking the hair on the back of his head again. It was then that something inside of Guanlin clicked—snapped into place—as if completing something that he didn’t know was he was missing.

 

Wholly swept by the feeling, all of his initial worries were washed away, and at this very second, Guanlin felt as though everything in the world was finally perfect and he was right where he belonged.

 

Guanlin relaxed limply into the boy’s arms, exhaling deeply with a soft shudder that rushed down his spine and replaced his discomfort with nothing but blissful warmth. His eyes fluttered shut, and he let himself drown in the feeling of being embraced like this—welcoming the surprising relief that the stranger exuded and relishing in every minute.

 

The other seemed pleased by Guanlin’s response; he could practically feel the other smiling into his shoulder as he pushed his face into the fabric of Guanlin’s T-shirt, humming with content. He squeezed Guanlin tighter, pressing their bodies flush together, and ran his hand along the length of Guanlin’s back up and down in a soothing motion.

 

He didn’t know how long they sat together like this. Guanlin began to lose track of time when the world around him seemed to blur and mute out of focus. All he could think about was the person he was with and how wonderful he felt; wanting to stay like this forever. But when he gradually began to come back to his senses, it suddenly occurred to him that they were sitting in a shallow pool of water.

 

And instantly, Guanlin stiffened.

 

He tried to blink back into the present; fighting the urge to slip back into the inviting comfort that willed him into this entranced state. Guanlin gathered enough sense to finally scan the form of the person he was with, and when the boy’s skin suddenly faded into scales, memories from the night before came flooding back to him; _A boy floating away with the current—Guanlin trying to save him—reaching out over the pier—The boy woke up and latched onto his hand, pulling Guanlin over the edge and…_

 

Guanlin paled remembering that this was no boy. Rather, he was a mermaid… _who tried to drown him_.

 

Guanlin jolted as if he’d been electrocuted with sparks of electricity bursting in his stomach and wracking throughout his entire body. He pushed away from the other with an explosive strength, breaking free from the merman’s tight hold, and staring at him with eyes full of terror with his mind racing—yelling at him to flee.

 

The merman hissed and tumbled back into the pool, blinking confusedly at Guanlin’s sudden outburst—glaring at him with his pupils narrowing into slits. The merman snarled something under his breath, displeased with Guanlin's actions, and the noise rang in the human's ears like a shot from a pistol, signaling for him that it was time to run.

 

Kicking up sprays of water, Guanlin scrambled into a standing position and desperately turned in circles, searching for somewhere to escape. And for a moment, he was awed by the area he was in just as much as he was scared.

 

He found that he was in a cave in the middle of the ocean; the spacious area only enclosed by a few arches of sand-colored stone that curved up into a natural roof with a large hole in the middle. The sun hit the shallow pool he was in from the gap and it reflected light onto every wall, tinting its base with an array of blues and casting a mosaic of shifting white patterns onto every surface around him. It gave him a wide, intimidating view of the endless water that stretched for miles, only adding to his fears and the question of _where in the world was he?_

 

Taking advantage of the other's momentary state of distraction, the merman gripped at Guanlin’s shoe, causing him to trip violently and crash right back down into the pool.

 

He scraped his hands onto the rigid rocks underneath him and winced as he felt a familiar weight compressing in his chest that caused him to squeeze his eyes shut and lose focus for a few precious seconds. Guanlin was moments away from crumbling again, choking back a scream as everything distorted and tilted around him. His arms trembled under his weight as the pressure grew more and more unbearable.

 

The merman tried to pull him back, gazing at him with questioning eyes with strings of frantic pleas falling from his mouth that the human couldn’t understand nor recognize in his state of panic. Desperate to get away, he slipped his shoe off and bolted towards the end of the pool before collapsing onto the safety of dry land, backing away from the other.

 

Once he was safe, Guanlin finally took a look at the mermaid, and  unexpectedly, his breath caught in his throat— _his heart came to a standstill_ —because even though he was scared for his life, the merman’s beauty was captivating and Guanlin found that he couldn’t look away.

 

The merman was gorgeous— _ethereal_ , rather—with sun kissed skin and light colored hair that fell in gentle curls, framing the delicate features of his face and tucked neatly behind webbed ears. He had full, red lips and long, dark eyelashes that glistened with droplets of water and bordered alluring, black eyes like the bottomless sea. Guanlin was lost in them, feeling as though he’d begin to drown if he stared for much longer.

 

The merman looked unreal, like a doll almost, adorned in luxurious ornaments that shimmered under the sunlight. A white, pearl headpiece rested gingerly in his hair and he wore gold armbands and bracelets with long, translucent ribbons attached to them and floating like streams behind him—probably even more beautiful in the weightlessness of the ocean with every cloth designed to swirl and flutter around him with the movement of the currents.

 

Strings of pearls and shells wrapped around his figure and came to a finishing loop at his waist where his skin was replaced by flecks of blue and green scales—the colors turning a magnificent shade of turquoise in the sun. A long fin extended from the small of his back which matched color and pattern with the fin at the end of his tail; the bottoms fading out into a transparent, almost golden, hue.

 

He watched as the merman began to crawl towards him, gazing at him with concern—staring at Guanlin with the same eyes that he’d had seen countless of times before and wearing a longing, apologetic expression. The merman extended his arm out, reaching for him and motioning for Guanlin to come back. But when Guanlin quickly shook his head ‘no,’ the squeezing in his chest returned, except this time it wasn’t painful. Rather, it was just barely on the line of uncomfortable, as if something were gently tugging on him with a string

 

The merman deflated, his shoulders drooping with sadness. It was at that moment that the other said something, and Guanlin realized that he was speaking in a language that he had only heard from once; _in his dream from the previous night._ All that was left was for Guanlin to connect the dots.

 

“A-Are you doing this?” He asked, pointing to his chest.

 

But he didn’t get an answer. Instead, the merman continued to look heartbrokenly at Guanlin, still beckoning for him to come closer to the edge of the water. And even though it was irrational and foolish for him to do so—still unsure if the merman was truly going to hurt him—Guanlin was drawn out of curiosity, a desire for answers, or just hypnotized fascination for the other. So, he inched his way forwards, hesitantly closing the distance between them until he was kneeling right at the edge of the pool, knees barely soaking in the rise of the waves lapping at the sand.

 

A hopeful light glittered in the merman’s eyes and he reached out again, placing his hand on Guanlin’s chest right over where the swirl was etched onto his skin. Guanlin flinched, but upon contact, the squeezing stopped.

 

“Who are you? Are you the person from my dreams?” Guanlin whispered.

 

But the merman didn’t reply. Instead, Guanlin gaped with horror as the merman suddenly tossed his stolen shoe right over his shoulder and it sunk under the surface of the water with a loud _plop!—_ lost forever to the ocean depths.

 

But he didn’t get to lament on his loss for too long because the merman then yanked Guanlin’s foot out from underneath him, pulling him across the sand and examining the appendage suspiciously. Guanlin craned his neck up to observe the merman just as he ripped his sock off; inspecting the item before he, too, flicked it in the same direction as his shoe, joining it in the abyss of the sea.

 

“ _Hey!_ Wait! I need that!!” Guanlin yelped.

 

But, unfortunately, the merman couldn’t understand him and he carried on.

 

“What are you— _WOAH!_ ” He jerked Guanlin even closer and began to poke at his now bare foot, lifting his entire leg up to his face so he can see it better.

 

Instinctively, Guanlin flexed his toes, and the little action made the merman light up, watching delightedly as the little appendages began to wiggle. He pursed his lips together—thinking carefully—before shoving his fingers between the small gaps. And Guanlin instantly broke out snorting, falling back with an uncontrollable laughter as the other continued to unintentionally tickle him.

 

"S-S-STOP!" Guanlin managed to say between snorts, tearing his foot from the merman’s grasp.

 

The other looked down at him, eyes inquisitive and asking something in his language.

 

“No,” Guanlin snickered, moving his foot away when the merman attempted to snatch it up again.

 

The merman tilted his head confusedly, idly trying to grab his foot again like a cat chasing a toy around. Guanlin thought it was cute and watched as the other steadily grew more and more frustrated when he wouldn’t give him what he wanted.

 

Guanlin pointed to the merman’s hand before pointing to his toes. “No,” he repeated, shaking his head. “You can’t touch there, okay? It tickles.”

 

The merman paused and thought for a moment, testing the word out on his tongue. _“No?”_

 

“No,” Guanlin affirmed.

 

He experimentally made a move for Guanlin’s foot again, but when the other just moved away, the merman’s eyes widened as if he finally realized what the word meant. He nodded, biting his lip anxiously and gesturing for permission to have Guanlin’s leg again.

 

Guanlin sat up and sighed, inspecting the other curiously. So many doubts should have stopped him from getting closer to the other and there were so many reasons for him to turn around and run away, but inside, his gut was telling him that he could trust him. As if he wouldn’t hurt Guanlin intentionally. With that feeling, he complied—hoping that he wouldn’t regret it in the future.

 

Guanlin gestured for the merman to go ahead, and excitedly, the other picked up his leg again.

 

As told, the merman moved away Guanlin’s foot and began to feel his ankles instead; his fingers running delicately over Guanlin's skin, captivated with interest as he experimentally played with the joint before moving his heel around in circles, testing to see how far it could bend before stopping. He smoothed his hand over the expanse of Guanlin’s calves, tracing the bump of his tibia and grasping gently at the swell of his kneecaps, feeling the hard bone there. The merman observed how Guanlin’s leg bent at the knee one way but couldn’t bend in the opposite direction—and then when he was done with that, he checked to see if everything was the same on the other leg, careful not to touch the other’s foot this time.

 

Guanlin sat back, resting on his palms and watching as the other inspected his legs with great concentration; completely intrigued by the limbs that he didn’t have. He took this time to think about the situation he was in, but when the merman arched his head a little, exposing a row of gills that climbed up the sides of his neck, curiosity took over and Guanlin immediately decided that he wanted to touch them.

 

As delicately as he could, he reached out, but once his fingers brushed against the tick, layered skin there, the merman jumped back and slapped Guanlin’s hand away, looking at the other with an expression that was shocked and almost… _flustered_.

 

Guanlin retracted his hand quickly, unsure of what he did to elicit that kind of response.

 

“No!” The merman yelped; reciting he word he had just learned. He held his gills protectively and turned away, cheeks gradually tinting a soft shade of pink.

 

“Ah, I-I’m sorry,” Guanlin stammered, holding his hands up apologetically in hopes that the other could get a gist of what he was trying to say. “I didn’t know!”

 

The merman hesitantly looked him over before crossing his arms and muttering something in his own language.

 

Guanlin flushed, guilt rising in his chest. “I-Is it okay if I touch here instead?” He asked, pointing to the merman’s tail.

 

The merman blinked out of his previous feelings and, as if getting a sense of what Guanlin was asking, he brightened, nodded, and eagerly took Guanlin’s hands and guided them down to his tail.

 

Cautiously, Guanlin placed his hands on the other, and the initial touch was so shocking to him that he gasped and flinched away, still feeling the strange texture tingling against his fingertips. But determined to keep going, Guanlin scooted forwards, subconsciously allowing the merman to rest his tail on his lap as he ran his hand down the slimy, smooth surface in wordless wonder. Immediately, he was captivated.

 

Guanlin stroked the length of his tail, pressing down on it and noting how unexpectedly solid the limb was. The strong muscle flexed ever so slightly under his careful touch as he made his way down to its base, splaying his fingers out and watching with rapt fascination as the merman’s fin unfurled for him, stretching longer than his entire arm span and giving him a full view of how absolutely magnificent it was.

 

 _“Wow,”_ Guanlin breathed, tracing its webbed rays from the base to the tips over and over again—admiring its sturdy yet flexible, film-like quality and rubbing it between the pads of his fingers.

 

It was only when the merman’s fin began to curl inwards and the sound of giggling filled his ears, did Guanlin finally snap out of his trance. He turned to the merman who was now laying back, floating in the water; upper body swaying with the gentle waves and shivering happily, as if pleased by the attention Guanlin was giving him and basking in his every touch.

 

Guanlin flushed, embarrassed by how completely absorbed he was by the other. But the merman didn’t seem to mind at all. In fact, he encouraged Guanlin to keep petting him by subtly adjusting his tail on Guanlin’s lap and getting comfortable again with a dreamy sigh. He fiddled with the pearls wrapped around his chest with a shy smile on his face, peeking up at Guanlin from underneath his eyelashes.

 

At the sight, Guanlin cleared his throat, feeling his cheeks burn slightly as he slipped out from underneath the other by pushing himself back up on the dry sand.

 

“Uh, thank you,” He murmured awkwardly, settling at the edge of the pool and putting a distance between the two of them now.

 

But the space meant nothing to the other. He turned onto his stomach and crawled towards Guanlin, resting his head on his knee and getting comfortable there instead.

 

Guanlin stiffened at first, but the feeling instantly dissipated and he relaxed as if he didn’t mind the fact that the other was getting in his personal space. Which only reminded him how weird it was that he was so comfortable with this stranger— _this..._ _merman._

 

He every action was mesmerizing; absorbing all of Guanlin’s attention and stopping him from questioning everything he should probably be worrying about. Guanlin watched as the other lazily drew swirls into the sand, and he followed the motion of his fingers with his gaze, catching the subtle flutter of the merman's eyelashes whenever he blinked. Guanlin took note of each grain of sand that dusted his hair, and even counted the droplets of water that rolled down his skin; engrossed and relishing in every small detail. Even watching how his tail swayed hypnotically in the water, rising up every now and then before sliding back underneath the waves—every movement so entrancingly beautiful.

 

He didn’t even know how much time had passed until suddenly, a bright light shone on him through the hole in the roof of the cave, signaling to Guanlin that the sun was shifting and, with that, the hours ticking by.

 

“Oh no!” Guanlin gasped, startling the merman who pulled himself up to stare wide-eyed at the other.

 

Guanlin rose to his feet and ran along the sandbank that extended a few feet outside of the cave. He ignored the cries of the merman, who was probably calling him to come back, before he stepped out into the blinding sun, spinning around and trying to find out where the mainland was.

 

When he saw it—only a sliver poking out in the horizon—Guanlin paled and his stomach twisted uncomfortably. _How did he get all the way out here and how was he going to get back?_

 

Guanlin heard a splash next to him and he turned to stare down at the merman who looked up at him confusedly; eyes flickering with mild irritation that Guanlin had ruined their little moment.

 

“I have to get back,” Guanlin explained, pointing out into the distance.

 

The merman turned his gaze to where he’d gestured.

 

“My grandpa is probably worried sick. He's probably forcing the entire town to search for me—How long as it been? What time is it?” Guanlin strode back into the cave and the merman followed him back along the waterline, watching the other as he paced around before crouching right in front of him.

 

“How did you get me here? Can you take me back?” Guanlin asked.

 

 The merman tilted his head innocently, a little unsure of what the other had said, and blinking as if nothing were wrong.

 

 _“I need to get back,”_ Guanlin repeated slowly, pointing towards his home. “There.”

 

The merman turned to look, gazing thoughtfully out into the distance and slowly piecing together what Guanlin was trying to tell him. But when he turned back, his eyes were sad, and he murmured something that sounded almost heartbroken.

 

He touched Guanlin’s leg and spoke, holding onto him tightly as if grounding him in place.

 

But Guanlin didn’t catch the other’s tone; too worried by the problem at hand. “I-I don’t know what you’re saying,” He said, searching the other for a hint—an expression or a gesture—that could possibly help him translate the merman’s words.

 

But he just continued to speak, uselessly rambling away and leaving Guanlin with nothing to work with.

 

Exasperated, he sighed. “Look, I really, _really_ have to go,” He insisted softly, pointing out again.

 

And finally, the merman’s voice trailed off into silence. His eyes fell downcast and he slouched over, defeated.

 

“A-Are you upset?” Guanlin asked, ringing with worry. He anxiously touched the other boy’s shoulder, trying to get him to look up again. “Why?”

 

 _Why, indeed._ It was so bizarre. Guanlin had just met the other and oddly, he couldn’t help but to feel something for him—confused as to why the other accepted him so affectionately in return. So many questions that he neglected to consider began to drift into his mind; _who was this merman? Was he truly the person from his dreams? Why could he make his chest stop squeezing, and was he also the one triggering its pain?_

 

Guanlin felt his chest tighten with the same sting that it always did, and he sucked in a sharp breath, forcing the merman to turn to him and wondering why he looked so sad and why he felt sad too.

 

He was pulled from his thoughts when suddenly, the merman grabbed his wrist, tugging him towards the water and saying something that probably fell along the lines of ‘ _follow me_.’

 

“W-Wait, what? You want me to follow you into the water? Is that how you got me here?”

 

The merman looked confused, seemingly questioning why Guanlin was hesitating now when he so desperately wanted to get back before.

 

“I can’t swim—” He tried to explain, pulling back from the merman and using the entire weight of his body to fight against the other’s grip. “I-I’m afraid of the water, y-you don’t understand—”

 

The merman uttered something, arching a single brow and asking something as he continued to hold him back with a surprising strength. And when the merman tugged again, Guanlin realized that he wasn’t going to be able tell the other that he couldn’t get into the water with him and started to panic.

 

Guanlin skidded forward and instantly felt bile rise from his stomach once he felt the waves lapping at his feet. A horrifying shiver ran down his spine as he winced, trying to break from the other’s hold; gazing between the water and the merman who was determined to pull him into the sea.

 

His mind zeroed in on breaking his wrist free with the sounds of the waves crashing horrifically in his ears growing louder and more explosive as time passed. Countless of scenarios zipped through his mind as he tried to come up with different ways to escape, but it was then that the tide began to rise, and the water began to inch towards him at an alarming speed.

 

“W-WAIT!” Guanlin cried, desperately trying to yank his hand back with more urgency than before. “WHAT’S HAPPENING—”

 

His heart burst into overdrive, feet scrambling and slipping in the sand as he tried to get away from the other so that he could move further up the sandbank. But when he searched for a safe place, he noticed that the water was rising all around him and he was standing on the last patch of dry sand.

 

The ocean started moving up his calves at a rapid pace and the merman only watched him, tilting his head as Guanlin’s struggling grew more frenzied.

 

“LET GO OF ME” He grunted, pulling back with all of his strength and finally, falling onto his back—not strong enough to free himself from the other’s grip.

 

He gasped and felt hot tears prickling in his eyes. His chest heaved up and down, desperate for oxygen.

 

Guanlin watched as his entire bottom half got swallowed by the rising tide, and suddenly, visions of himself dying in the ocean flooded back into this mind.

 

He shut his eyes tightly, remembering the feeling of his lungs collapsing with the weight of the ocean crushing down on him, strangling his heart into a standstill.

 

 _“Stop, stop, stop,”_ Guanlin whimpered, each plea broken and hopeless, soon engulfed by the sound of water rushing higher and higher.

 

He weakly twisted his hand in the other’s grip in a final attempt at escaping, but ultimately, there was nothing he could do.

 

The water rose up to his chest now and naturally, his body reacted as it always did; his ribcage squeezed, constricting against his lungs that expanded and deflated abnormally to an unsteady, frantic rhythm. He was paralyzed again, feeling nothing but numbing fear.

 

Soon, the tide dipped beneath his chin, and Guanlin looked to the merman who continued to gaze at him steadily, eyes never leaving him the entire time. For some reason, Guanlin felt reassured and… safe, knowing that every time he stared into these eyes in his dreams, he came back to life and he woke up.

 

Oddly enough, even though the merman was trapping him in place, Guanlin couldn’t bring himself to blame the other for anything that was happening.

 

Guanlin heard the melody of five familiar notes before everything finally faded into darkness.

 

 

 

 

 

With a sharp inhale, Guanlin awoke after what felt like a second later, blinking the sand and the sunlight out of his eyes.

 

He looked around, frantically trying to figure out where he was and if he were trapped in the middle of the ocean. But when he found that he was just past a forest on the east side of his grandfather’s fishing town, laying in the small, familiar bay there, he fell back into the sand in relief.

 

He was back. Back on land and back home.

 

 _Was this the merman’s doing?_ He suddenly thought.

 

Guanlin sat back up and whipped around, scanning the open sea but finding no trace of the other anywhere. He began to think that it had all been a dream. There was no way he could have met a real, live merman—let alone allow himself to be captured by one and whisked away to a… small sea cavern in the middle of the ocean.

 

Guanlin flushed in embarrassment, thinking about how stupid it sounded putting it into words. How weird it would have been if _he_ were the one coming up these visions and imagining such a beautiful boy…

 

But after some deliberation, Guanlin concluded that there was no way he could have just dreamt this all. He remembered everything so vividly; from the moment he was pulled off the pier to when he locked eyes with the other, drowning in the rising tide.

 

Without the merman distracting him, Guanlin easily allowed his mind to wander…

 

The merman that he met _had_ to be the same person from his dreams. He had the same eyes, he sang the same song, he knew where Guanlin’s mark was and somehow stopped the squeezing in his chest. And it was then that Guanlin realized that he hadn’t dreamt of drowning in the sea ever since he met the other; waking _twice_ now without seeing it. It was as if meeting the merman somehow cured him. Briefly, Guanlin wondered what it could possibly mean, and _if_ the merman did this to him, then why? Why these dreams and why _Guanlin?_

 

He began to consider the merman’s strange behavior towards him; hugging him tightly like a familiar friend—holding him as if he missed him. Guanlin remembered how angry the other had gotten when he had tried to escape the first time and then how quickly that side of him vanished when he realized Guanlin was scared. What did he want with Guanlin and why did he act so kindly towards him? He recalled every smile and every gesture: from the way he rested on Guanlin’s knee to the way he saddened when Guanlin pointed to the mainland, explaining to the other that he needed to go home.

 

Guanlin wondered why he felt so attached to him, sympathizing with every emotion he expressed. And he wondered why he responded to the other the way he did.

 

However, he couldn’t think on the topic for much longer when suddenly, his ears picked up the sound of wailing sirens. He turned to look towards the town, and although it was obscured by the thick forest, he could still see the bright flashing lights of police cars pulling up onto the main street out in the distance.

 

“Oh, god,” Guanlin whispered, scrambling up from the sand and running through the trees.  _He was in trouble._

 

It took the boy about ten minutes of sprinting before he finally reached the edge of the town. And once he arrived, he found the entire community huddled together around the police cars with worry painted across their faces and hanging over their heads.

 

Guanlin made his way towards everyone and when someone noticed him, he heard them shout, “Guanlin? It’s Guanlin!”

 

“Where?”

 

One by one, everyone turned around, voicing their concerns and gaping at the teenager as if he were an illusion. They surrounded him, throwing question upon question at him and wondering if he was okay or if he was hurt. They asked him things like where he had been all day and why he looked so disheveled, why his hands were scraped and where his shoe had gone.

 

In the midst of all the commotion, Guanlin’s grandfather pushed through the small crowd and ran up to him.

 

“Guanlin?” He breathed, reaching out and patting the boy down to search for any signs of injury or trauma. He took Guanlin’s face in his hands and stared at him, the whites of his eyes stained red and glistening with worry. “Where were you? Are you okay?”

 

“I’m fine,” Guanlin replied in a short exhale. Even though his absence wasn’t entirely his fault, he began to feel the burn of guilt rise in his stomach. “I-I’m sorry,” He said, scratching the back of his neck.

 

“You’re sorry?? Is that all you have to say?” He fumed, gripping Guanlin’s shoulders now. Even though there was still pain in his grandpa’s expression, concerned anger began to take over instead. “You better have a good excuse as to why you disappeared without a trace. We were all so worried— _I_ was worried! Why didn’t you bring your phone or at least leave a note? What have you been doing this entire time? Do you understand the mess you’ve created? You’re lucky I haven’t called your parents, young man.”

 

Guanlin coiled in on himself. _It wasn’t his fault,_ he wanted to say. But he couldn’t tell his grandfather the truth, especially not with all these people standing around them. So, he lied, “I-I… I couldn’t sleep last night so I decided to take a walk. I got lost in… _the forest_ , I-I’m sorry. I didn’t realize how deep it went or how far I had wandered away from the shore. But before I knew it, I was farther away from the trail than I’d anticipated. It’s okay, though— _I’m okay_ —really.”

 

His grandfather looked like he was on the verge of breaking down either from exhaustion or relief that his searching had finally come to an end. With his voice shaking, he whispered. “I’m just glad your safe.” He rubbed the pads of his thumbs across his grandson’s cheeks and smiled affectionately at him. “I love you so much, do you know how scared we all were? How scared I was? The entire town searched for you all day.”

 

Guanlin looked around and indeed, everyone was staring at him with worried eyes. He saw Mrs. Lin being comforted by the children who also looked scared, whimpering something about _who would we play with if Guanlin—their big brother—had gone missing._ The fishermen that he’d grown familiar with and the Huang’s, along with the various other residents of the small town too voiced their concerns, telling Guanlin that he was important to them and how devastated they’d be if he’d gotten hurt.

 

“I’m sorry.” Guanlin muttered. Everyone had thought that he was gone, or maybe even in danger. But in reality, he was fine, and the fact that he had to lie about it to the entire community who treated him like a son made him feel horrible.

 

“It’s okay, we’re just glad you made it back okay,” His grandfather whispered—speaking for the whole town.

 

Guanlin paused before asking warily, “Are you going to tell my parents?”

 

His grandpa laughed. “No, I won’t,” He said in a whisper, “They’d never let you come back if they found out I almost lost you again.”

 

His words hit Guanlin like a train, aware that there was more to his worry than him disappearing for a day. He never mentioned how much Guanlin’s absence for the past eight years had affected him, and Guanlin felt terrible; not only sorry that he made his grandfather worry, but sorry that he never fully realized how much he meant to his grandpa. How much his grandpa meant to him.

 

“I’m sorry… for everything. I love you too and I really like being here again.”

 

His grandpa gave him a watery laugh, ruffling his hair affectionately. “It’s okay, ‘Lin. I’m glad to hear that.”

 

Their conversation came to an abrupt end once one of the police officers walked up and tapped Guanlin’s grandfather on the shoulder. “I’m assuming this is the missing teenager?”

 

“Oh, uh, yes,” He replied.

 

“I’m glad to see he’s alright.” The officer shot Guanlin a smile, which he returned it with a cautious nod. “I’m just gonna have to talk to you for a bit before we go on our way,” He said to his grandpa.

 

When the two walked off, Guanlin was then bombarded by all of the townsfolk again, showering him with questions and mostly asking if he was alright. Guanlin assured them that he was fine—that he was sorry for worrying them so much. Soon later, his grandfather came up to him again, telling Guanlin that they could go home now. So, with that, he waved everyone goodbye and fell in step with his grandfather as they walked along the main road, heading back to their house.

 

The sun was setting now, and Guanlin was left to reflect on his long day. He wondered if he should tell his grandfather the _real_ reason he had disappeared, considering the other had a rapt interest for mermaids. He figured, if anyone should know about his disappearance, it should be him.

 

But... Guanlin was wary.

 

He never considered the extent of his grandfather’s little obsession for these creatures—wondering if he were just interested and curious, or if he really intended to capture one. Guanlin suddenly wondered what his grandfather would do if he _did_ capture one… he wondered how his grandfather would react if Guanlin told him about the one he met. For a short while, Guanlin wanted to tell his grandpa about the merman, but now, he didn’t know if the other would hurt him or not.

 

Despite all of these uncertainties, Guanlin still needed answers. So, the following day when they were seated together at the dinner table, Guanlin suddenly asked, “You said you’ve seen a mermaid before, right?”

 

His grandfather paused before his spoon could reach his mouth. Slowly, he set the utensil down into his bowl to stare suspiciously at his grandson. “What makes you bring that up?”

 

“Just curious,” Guanlin replied, trying to sound nonchalant. He took casual a sip from his soup for added affect.

 

His grandpa cleared his throat. “Uh, _yes_ … I did.”

 

“When?”

 

“A long time ago.”

 

“What did you do?”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“I mean,” Guanlin elaborated, “What did you do when you met the mermaid?”

 

His grandfather thought for a moment, eyeing Guanlin as if trying to figure out what had gotten into the boy.

 

The younger fidgeted slightly under his stare, but he held his ground.

 

“I let it go,” the elder said after a long, deliberate pause.

 

Guanlin’s eyes widened, hopeful that he’d never mean to harm an actual mermaid. He was surprised that his grandfather let it escape, especially considering how much he obsessed over the creatures. “R-Really? Why?”

 

His grandpa only shrugged, dipping his spoon back into his soup and taking a contemplative sip. He didn't speak up again, as if he were trying to end their little conversation.

 

But this only fed Guanlin’s suspicion even more.

 

“What would you do if you met a mermaid again?” The younger asked, pushing closer to the table.

 

“It depends.”

 

“On what?” He urged.

 

“The mermaid,” His grandpa replied. “Some have good intentions and some have evil. Mermaids have a lot of magical properties to them and of course, it’s in their nature to drown people. So, if I met an evil one, I’d probably run.”

 

Guanlin gulped, drinking in that new bit of information. “But... if you met a good one…?”

 

“Maybe…” His grandfather mumbled thoughtfully, “Maybe this time, I’d catch it.” A smile spread across his face as he continued to drink from his soup.

 

But Guanlin couldn’t bring himself to mirror the expression, suddenly afraid for the merman’s safety. He concluded that he shouldn’t tell his grandfather about the merman he met, but... _what was that thing about evil mermaids all about?_  Pursing his lips, Guanlin then began to wonder, maybe, it wasn’t his grandfather he should be wary about. Rather, maybe he should be wary about the merman.

 

Nevertheless, he was going to have to figure this out on his own—and if worse came to worst, then he’d tell his grandfather.

 

As he continued to eat, countless of things ran through his mind, but before heading off to bed, Guanlin decided that one more question couldn’t hurt.

 

“Grandpa?”

 

“Yes?”

 

“What really happened the day I drowned?”

 

The other froze in his tracks. “What is with you today? You disappeared for hours yesterday and now you’re asking things you’ve never even cared about. I thought you didn’t believe in mermaids, so why the sudden curiosity? You’re pretty bad at hiding things, Guanlin, and I’d say, that maybe you’ve met a mermaid of your own.” He shot Guanlin a teasing smile.

 

Guanlin, in response, tensed and quickly denied him. “I— _no._ Of course, mermaids don’t exist. It’s just… when I was lost in the forest, I had a lot of time to think to myself and it was just one of the many things that crossed my mind. That’s all.”

 

His grandpa hummed again, briefly considering the validity of Guanlin’s response. “Well, it’s just as I’ve told you before, Guanlin,” He said. But then, a small, comforting smile spread across his face, “You fell in and I saved you. Simple as that.”

 

He squeezed Guanlin’s shoulder affectionately, and on that note, went to bed. But Guanlin couldn’t sleep that night. All he could think about how strange his grandpa had acted; dodging all of his questions. Guanlin was pretty sure that the merman he met was the one who saved him that day, but why would his grandfather lie to him?

 

He began to think on their conversation at the dinner table, and he recalled his grandfather talking about mermaids and their intentions to drown humans. It made Guanlin wonder if the merman he met would do that to him.

 

He shivered at the thought. _There was no way he could be evil, right?_ The merman had so many chances to kill Guanlin; once at the pier, and another at the cave. If he truly was the one who saved him that day eight years ago, then why would he want to kill him?

 

But other than just his gut feeling, Guanlin realized that didn’t truly know if the merman had any underlying motives. For a second, he wondered again why he felt warm and comfortable with the merman. He wondered why the merman acted so kindly towards him—even bringing him back home when he’d asked.

 

_Maybe... he was faking it?_

 

Guanlin had so many questions, but he couldn’t answer any of them. At least, not on his own. Not with the limited knowledge he had now. He was going to solve this without his grandpa’s help, and keep the merman a secret until he had a better understanding of who he could trust with what kind of information. Which only meant that he’d have to wait until the merman showed up again.

 

And maybe then, could Guanlin finally figure out everything that had been haunting him for the past eight years of his life.

 

 

 

 

 

Guanlin didn’t see the merman for the next few days, and he was beginning to think that their meeting had just been his imagination.

 

Each day started normally and ended just the same since the day he arrived at the little town. He continued to run errands for his grandfather, hung out with anyone who stopped him, and tried to enjoy his vacation to its fullest. The only thing that was different were the dreams—or rather— _the_ _lack of them._ It was as if they never even existed in the first place and Guanlin almost forgot what the squeezing pain in his chest felt like. It was refreshing just as much as it was strange. And the fact that they haven’t returned since, was the only thing that assured him that the merman was actually real and that _they actually, truly met._

 

One night, about five days after he went ‘missing,’ Guanlin awoke to a familiar, sharp sting in his chest that came and left in the span of a heartbeat.

 

He abruptly sat up, startled by the pain that he hadn’t felt in days. Guanlin was beginning to doubt that he actually felt something until the soft squeezing came back, and began to palpitate inside of him. So, he stood up.

 

Guanlin placed his hand on his chest. It didn’t hurt him as much as it did before, rather, it felt as though maybe something were poking at him; as if something was trying to get his attention...

 

Eyes widening at the conclusion, Guanlin scrambled out of bed to peek out his window, and sure enough, he saw a figure out in the distance— _the merman_ —with his head only visible and bobbing up and down with the swell of the waves.

 

Guanlin gasped and threw on a thin jacket. He shoved his shoes on and as quietly as he could, exited the house to run up to the shore.

 

Upon seeing the other, the merman smiled brightly and waved him over before dipping beneath the surface of the water, only to reappear by the support to a short dock harboring a few wooden boats that lined up its sides.

 

Guanlin obediently followed, idly noting that it was a strategic meeting spot, especially when one considered the boats and the height of the dock that just barely peeked above the rise of the water. It obscured the merman’s form enough so that any onlookers wouldn’t notice him from the shore, which was understandable since a creature like the merman would want to hide his existence. However, it also meant that Guanlin would, too, be just out of everyone’s line of sight, at a perfect angle for the merman to yank Guanlin off the edge and drown him without getting caught.

 

While something inside of him was bursting with happiness seeing the merman again, doubts began to flood his mind. With the warning from his grandfather, Guanlin decided that tonight, he was going to act cautiously; examine the other at the same time try to get the information he needed out of him.

 

He approached the merman, stopping a few feet away the end of the dock, and stared down at him to nod a curt _hello_.

 

The merman rose from the water. His smile faltered and looked as if he were questioning the distance Guanlin put between them. _‘What’s wrong?’_ Is probably what he would have said.

 

When Guanlin only stood his ground, unresponsive, the tugging in his chest returned as the merman drooped, sagging back into the water and refusing to meet Guanlin’s hard gaze.

 

After a long while of silence, Guanlin sighed and apprehensively stepped to the edge of the dock to sit crisscrossed with his knees barely hanging over the last wooden plank. It was an irrational, stupid move on his part— _he had absolutely no idea what had come over him_ —but as he made himself comfortable in front of the other, he told himself that he wasn’t going to get the answers he wanted if he continued to keep the space between them. Especially if the merman was going to keep sulking like he did. Deep down, another part of him just couldn’t stand seeing the other upset like this, which only fed his reasoning to put himself in the arms of potential danger like this. At this point, Guanlin could only pray that he wouldn’t regret his decision later, but considering that the merman had yet to actually kill him, the chances of him doing so now were hopefully slim. _Hopefully_.

 

Guanlin pratically flinched when the merman brightened, and he instinctively moved back when the other hoisted himself over the dock to touch Guanlin’s chest. 

 

Guanlin sucked in a shallow breath, expecting the worst, but when the merman tapped where his mark was, the tugging instantly stopped and he was swept with a feeling of comfort again.

 

The merman smiled at him, eyes glistening and delighted. He slid back into the water with his hands still gripping at the wooden dock, resting his head by Guanlin’s knees.

 

“So, you really are doing this, aren’t you?” Guanlin exhaled shakily. “Why? Why me? Doesn’t that mean you’re the person from my dreams? Are you the one who saved me? Why haven’t you drowned me? Who are you?”

 

But the other couldn’t confirm anything; Guanlin’s words only sounding like gibberish to him. He continued to gaze gently at the other, drinking in the sound of his voice but not making any sense of it. And even though that was the case, the merman was still happy hearing the other talking to him.

 

Guanlin sighed realizing he wasn’t going to get an answer out of the other like this. “I forgot…” He whispered, rubbing the nape of his neck tiredly.

 

Neither of them spoke after that; just letting the roll of the waves and the gentle bobbing of the boats fill their silence on this clear, summer night. Guanlin took the time to gaze at the other, noting how dazzling he looked under the moonlight; each shell and pearl twinkling against the dark water.

 

The merman began to say something—voice hushed and gentle in that beautiful language Guanlin had only heard from twice before. Guanlin wondered what it could have been. He could only make assumptions based off of the other’s expressions and subtle gestures—his tone and fluctuation in his voice. Guanlin's imagination told him that maybe the merman was telling him about their meeting, and how happy he was to see him. Or maybe, he was just being hopeful. But other than that, everything the merman said was a mystery, and Guanlin soon realized that getting the information he wanted was going to be difficult.

 

In the midst of his thoughts, the merman suddenly perked up; gasping and reciting something hurriedly.

 

“What is it?” Guanlin asked, slightly peeking over the edge to figure out what had gotten the merman so riled up.

 

_He didn't expect what was going to happen next._

 

In one quick moment, the other turned to him, and grabbed Guanlin by the collar to pull him down and force him to bend over the dock.

 

Everything froze, and for a second, Guanlin thought to himself that  _he_ _was a fool._

 

Guanlin sucked in a quick breath and he squeezed his eyes shut, feeling his heart explode in his chest.

 

The merman was going to pull him into the water and he was going to die. Regrets upon _regrets_ coursed through his mind; Guanlin couldn’t believe he let his curiosity get the best of him, he should have been more careful, _how could he have been so naïve?_ He should have never trusted the merman.

 

But even through all of these regrets, Guanlin, surprisingly, felt heartbroken. As if he’d been betrayed by someone he cared about.

 

Guanlin braced for the impact of falling, but instead of feeling the crushing waves, he felt something slide over the top of his head.

 

 _'…What?'_ He thought.

 

Guanlin fluttered his eyes open and found that he was still sitting on the dock, except now, just slightly bent over the water with the merman keeping him in position. He blinked curiously at the other who excitedly grinned at him. When Guanlin touched his hair, he felt a string of pearls that definitely wasn’t there before.

 

“Uh…” He grunted unintelligently. _He wasn’t… dead?_

 

Guanlin flushed at the realization and almost felt ashamed by his overreaction. But the merman didn’t catch any of it, because soon after, he revealed a small, woven bag and began to fish out item after item; giving everything to Guanlin and adorning the human in as many ornaments as he himself was wearing.

 

The merman slipped abalone bracelets over Guanlin's wrists, threw necklaces of beautiful shells and even more pearls around his neck. He took Guanlin’s hands and decorated each finger with different stones; opals, aquamarines, jaspers, and aragonites. He clasped golden bands around his arms, and presented him with another headpiece; except this time made of crystals. And Guanlin could only stand there, frozen with shock, as the other continued to dress him with _everything_ until the merman’s bag was supposedly empty.

 

The other stared up at Guanlin, waiting for his response with an eager look on his face.

 

“W-What is all of this?” Guanlin asked, twisting his arms around and looking at the items the other had given him. “Are these for me?” He pointed to himself.

 

Given enough clues as to what he was saying, the merman nodded; his eyes crinkling with his smile and sparkling with happiness. He said something, _‘Do you like them?’_  is what Guanlin assumed.

 

 “L-Look, I’m flattered, but I really don’t need any of this,” He admitted, slipping off the bracelets and plucking each ring off his finger now.

 

As each piece of jewelry came off, the merman’s eyes widened with confusion. He looked desperately between his presents and Guanlin as strings of worried sentences fell from his mouth. The merman reluctantly held out his hands as Guanlin dropped item after item into them; returning everything that the other had given him.

 

When he was finally ridden of every piece of jewelry, the merman looked up at Guanlin, eyes pooling with hurt and not understanding why the other had given everything back.

 

“They’re pretty, but I don’t need jewelry,” Guanlin repeated himself. He then shot the other a warm smile and gave him a polite nod. “Thank you, though.”

 

However, the other only looked more upset; slipping under the waves. He tried to give everything back, but when Guanlin shook his head, saying _no_ , the merman coiled in on himself.

 

“H-Hey, don’t be upset,” Guanlin insisted, bending over closer to the other and trying to figure out why this had hurt him so much. It wasn’t as if Guanlin didn’t like the presents—he thought that he made a good point in showing it. But maybe, there was something more to the other’s kind gesture that Guanlin didn’t understand. So with that in mind, he hesitantly picked out the simplest necklace he could find; which was one with a single black pearl on it.

 

“I’ll just take this one, is that okay?” He asked.

 

The merman watched as Guanlin clasped the little necklace around his neck, and when Guanlin smiled again, the merman brightened ever so slightly as well. He nodded, looking satisfied for now, and tucking the rest of the jewelry back into his pouch.

 

Guanlin exhaled in relief.

 

With nothing else more to say, the two of them fell back into silence.

 

Guanlin figured that the merman wasn’t trying to drown him—or at least, not yet. But with the presents he was given, he began to seriously doubt that the other had any evil underlying intentions. _Maybe Guanlin was just being ridiculous_. The merman looked more than happy with his presence, and for some reason, Guanlin couldn’t help but to enjoy himself in the company of the other too.

 

The merman rested his hand on Guanlin’s crisscrossed legs and began to lightly tug at them.

 

“What is it?” Guanlin asked, voice pitched with confusion.

 

Guanlin let the merman unfold his legs, watching curiously as to what the other was going to do with him. But as he guided his legs down into the water, Guanlin retracted; pulling out of the merman’s hold and bringing his knees up to his chest.

 

“Y-You want me to dip my feet in the water?? Why?” He asked nervously.

 

The merman looked at him with a pleading expression on his face, as if Guanlin putting his feet in the water was an important thing.

 

“I don’t like the water,” He tried to explain.

 

But the merman didn’t give up.

 

He made no overly forceful moves on the other as he continued to lead Guanlin’s legs over the edge of the dock—and Guanlin just allowed him to do so; _something inside of him just trusting the other._

 

Once his feet touched the water, the same horrific sensation climbed up his skin and caused Guanlin to freeze, but he didn’t have time to panic because instantly, the merman wrapped his arms around his legs to hug him contentedly.

 

In response, Guanlin flushed.

 

He could only watch as the other rested his head on Guanlin’s knee, keeping one arm hooked around his calves and using the other hand to draw patterns on his kneecaps, sighing dreamily.

 

Guanlin felt embarrassed under the attention, yet he marveled at the fact that he was actually… _okay_ with his legs in the water like this. Which was partially understandable, because it felt like he was dipping his feet into a bathtub. He knew the water was shallow over here, but still, he wondered how the merman could have triggered such a peaceful response to dipping his feet in the actual ocean.

 

And he was about to ask, that is, until he remembered that he wouldn’t be able to.

 

It was frustrating, not being able to communicate with the other. He was going to have to come up with a way to talk to him next time, but for now, he knew he wasn’t going to get much out of the merman tonight. So, he just settled on asking the other a question that was easy enough for him to describe. Guanlin tapped the other on the shoulder to request for his attention.

 

Immediately, the merman looked up with a shy smile, silently nodding, _‘Yes?’_

 

Guanlin cleared his throat, stammering, “Uh, W-What’s your name?”

 

The merman tilted his head curiously.

 

“Name?” He asked again a bit more clearly. And to help the other out, he pointed to himself. “Guanlin,” He enunciated, tapping his chest. He then pointed to the merman, hoping that he would get it.

 

The merman blinked before pointing to himself. “Guanlin?” He repeated.

 

Guanlin snickered. “No, no, no,” He shook his head before he patted himself on the chest again. “I’m Guanlin.” He then gestured to the merman again. “You?”

 

The merman stared at him through squinted eyes, replaying the other’s actions over in his head. Guanlin could visibly see the other’s brain working before he finally pieced everything together. “AH!” He shouted victoriously. The merman pointed to Guanlin with excitement. “Guanlin!”

 

Guanlin nodded rapidly. “Yes!”

 

The merman then pointed to himself. “Jihoon.”

 

“Jihoon?” Guanlin repeated, asking if he’d gotten it right.

 

The other nodded in response, smiling even wider now at the sound of Guanlin mentioning his name.

 

Guanlin chuckled and the merman giggled too, resting his head contentedly on Guanlin’s knees again. _At least Guanlin was able to learn one thing tonight._

 

“It’s nice to formally meet you, Jihoon,” Guanlin said, holding out his hand for the merman to shake.

 

Jihoon paused before looking at the hand curiously, gazing up at Guanlin with questioning eyes. He grabbed Guanlin’s hands and began to fiddle around with his fingers, looking expectantly at him.

 

“Ah, you don’t know what a handshake is, do you?” Guanlin murmured, slipping his hand from the other’s grasp.

 

And Jihoon replied with something that sounded equally confused, probably realizing that there was some form of miscommunication there.

 

They both sighed in unison, equally upset that they couldn’t really communicate.

 

Eventually, Jihoon went back to resting his head on Guanlin. He hummed and drew swirls on his palms, leaving his skin wet with a trail of droplets.

 

Guanlin lost track of time, thinking about nothing and relishing in the other’s presence.

 

Time passed, and with it, the sky began to turn a light shade of blue signaling to Guanlin that the sun was going to be rising and the town would be waking soon.

 

Guanlin cleared his throat, tapping the merman on the shoulder again to get his attention. “I think I better get going,” He said, slowly sliding himself out from underneath the merman and pulling his legs out from the water.

 

But before he could fully stand, a look of panic flashed through the merman’s eyes and he grabbed at Guanlin’s wrist; stopping him from going any further. He shook his head, saying something that probably fell along the lines of _‘Don’t go.’_

 

“I’ll be back,” Guanlin promised the other.

 

But Jihoon didn’t understand that. Instead, he began to speak quickly—voice sounding desperate and pleading. He felt a light squeeze in his chest that didn’t hurt as much as it made him sad.

 

Jihoon was scared, Guanlin could tell. His pupils wavering nervously as if Guanlin was going to leave him forever.

 

“Tomorrow, okay?” He affirmed, tugging for his arm back. “I’ll come back tomorrow.”

 

However, the other continued to stare at him in worry, searching Guanlin for an explanation and his grip tightening on his wrist.

 

Guanlin sighed. He had to think of a way he could assure the other that he would return—assure him that he liked Jihoon enough come back. Unsure of what else he could do, Guanlin knelt down and gave the merman a tight hug, promising to him again, “Tomorrow. We can meet again tomorrow.”

 

The merman’s hold on Guanlin’s wrist loosened, and he hesitantly returned the gesture; wrapping his arms around Guanlin’s torso. But the worried look never left his face.

 

When they detached, Jihoon sunk back into the water dejectedly, looking at Guanlin like a kicked puppy with his eyes only visible above the surface.

 

And the look almost made Guanlin want to stay, but he knew that it wouldn’t be safe for the both of them if they waited for any longer; _the merman especially._

 

Guanlin stepped backwards. “Bye, Jihoon,” He whispered, waving a farewell.

 

The merman reluctantly stuck his fingers out of the water, wiggling them in a goodbye.

 

As Guanlin turned to walk away, he felt his chest tighten ever so slightly, but when he spun around to look at the water, the merman was already gone.

 

Pursing his lips, Guanlin quickly made his way back home, and just as quietly as he left, he snuck back inside.

 

Guanlin positioned himself into bed and tried to go back to sleep with what little time he had before his grandpa would wake him up in the morning to do errands.

 

But as he expected, sleep never came. Guanlin couldn’t stop thinking about Jihoon and he wondered if he was really going to see him again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GOD I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO DO A LANGUAGE BARRIER AU FOR PANWINK this is highkey a metaphor for the fact that panwink can literally never stop looking at each other aklsjfalksdfasjflsalkdf  
> also, it doesn't feel right calling jihoon a "merman" :/ why cant I use "merboy" or like "merbaby" ...........
> 
> anywAY KJDFSLKDf I hope u all enjoyed that LMAOO I know u all probably have a lot of questions but everything will b explained soon just wait :')) Also holy shit I just realized; I promise to god that the gill thing wasn't sexual LMAOO KALJSDKLF THAT WILL BE EXPLAINED TOO OKAy pls /sweats and...... just saying....... i wrote this chapter like 4 times and the 4th time i literally took each paragraph and restructured the entire thing one by one.. so if anything is repeated pleASE TELL ME LMAOOOO ITS NOT INTENTIONAL IT'S JUST ME BEING CARELESS SKLFJSD  
> okay anyway i will see u all next time pls tell me what u think!!! :D
> 
> (twt @onguanlinnie / cc @coppercoin - if u want me to follow u back just introduce urself to me! send me a sweet dm saying like "hey ur fics r mediocre at best" n then we'll be friends I promise)


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im crying over u guys just casually calling jihoon a merbaby now asjfksghf

Guanlin awoke the next night to a familiar squeeze in his chest and he shot out of bed in an instant.

 

He knew what this could possibly mean, so he looked out his window and sure enough, found the merman amidst the swell of the ocean’s surface.

_“Guanlin!”_ He heard Jihoon's faint call in the distance. The merman was desperately looking around.

 

Unable to find him there, the merman dove back under the waves only to reappear somewhere else and repeat the process.

 

His movements were worried and frantic, and from where Guanlin was watching, he could see the other was biting his lip anxiously.

_He was searching for him,_ the teenager thought, placing his hand over the swirl that throbbed steadily at his chest. It felt as if someone were clutching him in their fist, tugging at him. It hurt, but it wasn’t unbearable, and Guanlin knew that this discomfort wouldn't go away until he was with Jihoon again.

 

So, Guanlin picked up his backpack and quietly exited his home, successfully sneaking out for the third time his summer vacation.

Once the merman caught sight of him, he broke out into a bright grin. “Guanlin!” He exclaimed, motioning him over to the short dock where they met the night before.

 

He laughed softly at the other’s eagerness as he strode over. “Hi, Jihoon,” Guanlin replied when he was finally in earshot. He sat crisscrossed at the very edge of the dock, but before he could make himself comfortable, the other pulled at his legs to lead them into the water with him.

 

 _“_ W-Wait, what are you doing—” Guanlin tried to protest. But the merman was quick and gave Guanlin no time to resist.

 

Once the chilly ocean waves touched up to his calves, Guanlin instantly froze—choking on his breath. He was paralyzed by an icy shiver that slithered up his body. It dissipated, though, once Jihoon rested his chin on his knees and wrapped his arms around Guanlin’s submerged legs in a tight, protective embrace. And just like that, Guanlin was washed with comfort again. It was the same exact thing that happened the last time Jihoon requested for him to dip his legs in the ocean—the merman inexplicably dispelling his fear as if it never existed in the first place.

 

Taking a moment to even out his breathing, Guanlin watched as Jihoon fluttered his eyes closed and suddenly muttered something that sounded relieved. He exhaled contentedly, and held onto him tighter as if he’d been worried Guanlin wouldn’t show up tonight.

 

Guanlin sighed as a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “I promised you I’d come back, remember?” He whispered.

 

Jihoon hummed, acknowledging his words but not quite knowing what they meant. And after a while of just silently sitting together, Guanlin decided to show the other what he brought with him today to help them.

 

“Jihoon?” Guanlin requested, gaining the merman’s attention as he shrugged off his backpack. He patted the space on the dock right next to him, “Sit with me, please?”

 

His gesture must have been clear enough for the other to understand, because Jihoon instantly brightened at him, nodding excitedly as he hoisted himself up onto the wooden dock.

 

“Thank you,” Guanlin murmured distractedly, since he was busy rummaging around in his backpack. He didn’t even notice how close the other had gotten to him until he suddenly felt a soft pressure at his side, and the water from the merman’s skin began to seep through his shirt.

 

Quietly, Jihoon linked their arms together and Guanlin found himself holding his breath, stunned silent by the other's eyes that mirrored the dark, night sky. The moonlight reflecting prettily against the various gems and pearls that decorated him, and the chimed whenever he moved. From this close, Guanlin could follow the rivulets of water trickling down Jihoon’s skin with his gaze, watching as they left behind droplets of silver in its path. In the night, Jihoon's tail tinted into a deep teal, but it still illuminated just as beautifully as it did in the sunlight, as Guanlin remembered when they first met.

 

The teenager only realized that he’d been silent for a bit longer than normal when a soft giggle suddenly reached his ears. Hazily, he turned to look at Jihoon and found the other smiling at him, tucking a loose strand of hair behind his webbed ear and clearing his throat.

 

Guanlin lit up scarlet with embarrassment. “I-I DIDN’T— _I wasn’t_ —I mean—it’s not what you think—” He stammered, unable to properly explain himself to the other. But he’d already been caught red handed and, if anything, his anxious babbling merely added to his case.

 

Jihoon covered his mouth with a small hand to stifle his laugh, trying to bite back a grin. Just to make things worse, the other comfortably brought himself even closer, muttering something that sounded teasing but wholly endeared.

 

It made the hairs on the nape of Guanlin's neck prickle with embarrassment. _“A-Anyway…”_ He huffed, turning to look at his lap and gently gripping at the notebook he settled there. “I-I brought us something to help us communicate.”

 

Curiously, Jihoon leaned against Guanlin’s shoulder to take a look at the item. _‘What is it?’_ is probably what he asked once he spoke up again.

 

Guanlin uncapped his pen. “Here,” he replied, flipping to a fresh page. Tonight, he wanted to see what information he could pull out of the other, but before that, he thought that maybe he should try out a few example pictures before he began to ask the other complex questions. So, he drew a picture of a crescent moon. "Do you know what this is?"

 

“AH!” Jihoon shouted excitedly, pointing to the scribble. He recited something—probably moon in his language—before he pointed up to the sky where the moon was up above them.

 

“Yes! The moon!” Guanlin nodded enthusiastically.  He then began to draw a simple boat that, apparently, looked close enough to the real thing for Jihoon to point it out again. But when Guanlin drew a picture of a bird, Jihoon stared at it, narrowing his eyes contemplatively.

 

“Uh…” Jihoon breathed, eventually shooting the other an embarrassed look.

 

“A bird?” Guanlin repeated. There was no way Jihoon didn’t know what a bird was, he thought, before drawing it a bit more carefully expcept with more detail this time. When Jihoon still didn’t get it, he tried to describe further it with sounds and gestures.

 

“OH!” Jihoon exclaimed. He grabbed Guanlin’s pen and—with an unsteady grip, clearly unused to the writing utensil—he drew a wobbly picture of something similar, but overall strikingly different. It was still a picture of a bird, but not one that Guanlin—or any person—would typically use.

 

Jihoon recited his word for _bird_ and handed back his pen.

 

“Ah, I see…” Guanlin muttered, deep in thought. He then wondered if there was anything else that they would have a rough time translating, but after a few more picture examples, he finally decided that they’d have to figure things out the best they could. So he began to draw up his first question.

 

Guanlin decided to start out with something easy; he recreated the scene when he’d fallen off his grandfather’s boat all those years ago, doodling two stick figures stranded out in the water in a small boat.

 

Jihoon watched intently as Guanlin then drew the next scene with the smaller stick figure falling off the boat and into the ocean, tapping the small stick figure with his pen and pointing to himself, trying to tell Jihoon that the small stick figure was himself.

 

Jihoon silently looked between the drawing and Guanlin with his face scrunching up in thought. When everything seemingly clicked in his head, Jihoon visibly brightened visibly. He plucked Guanlin’s pen from his hand and drew what looked to be a mermaid before pointing to himself.

 

“So that _was_ you?” Guanlin breathed with his eyes widening. The realization hit him in a burst, making his heart jump in his chest. Guanlin to opened his mouth, ready to spew out question after question, but he snapped shut when he remembered that it’d be useless. Despite his eagerness, he’d have to draw everything and take things slowly.

 

Next, Guanlin decided that he’d ask about the dreams. He took his pen back and drew a stick figure lying in a bed. He added a thought bubble above his head to signify that he was 'dreaming' and pointed to it, looking at Jihoon expectantly.

 

It was immediately obvious that Jihoon didn’t understand the drawing at all. He looked at the picture confusedly, saying something with a questioning tone as he pointed to the bed and the thought bubble.

 

“Ah, no beds underwater. That’s understandable…” Guanlin commented. And as far as the thought bubble went, maybe the symbol wasn’t as universal as he thought.

 

Sighing, Guanlin shook his head at the other. “Never mind,” He smiled sadly, flipping back to the first page. _He’d have to work this question differently._

 

From there on, Guanlin drew up countless scenarios asking who Jihoon was, who Guanlin was to him, if he really died the day he drowned, and everything about the dreams and suffocating feeling he’d get from them in the past. Everything always seemed to end with some sort of confusion, however; either it being him unable to properly describe his question or the merman not able to interpret the symbols he used. For the nth time that night, they reached a dead end, and Guanlin pursed his lips in frustration. A sigh come from Jihoon as well, who was equally disheartened that they couldn’t figure out a way to understand each other.

 

Guanlin flipped to a new page, deciding to move onto the next question, and drew an exact replica of the swirl on his chest.

 

Instantly, Jihoon understood what he was talking about. He gasped and smiled excitedly, pressing his hand to Guanlin’s chest exactly where the mark was located hidden underneath his shirt before launching a series of words at him.

 

Guanlin nodded at him eagerly. “Yes, the mark.”

He watched as Jihoon gestured to himself before poking Guanlin in the chest, tracing the outline of the mark with his index finger, moving it as if… _he was the one who drew it?_ Guanlin assumed.

 

He nodded slowly, “Can you tell me what it is? What it’s for?”

Jihoon tilted his head, thinking, searching for a way to explain it. Once he figured something, he took Guanlin’s pen again and scribbled down a different swirled pattern—one that was more circular—that Guanlin had never seen before.

Guanlin blinked at it, wracking his brain for what it could possibly mean. But after a few silent moments, he ultimately concluded that it was probably a symbol that didn’t translate between their cultures and shot the other a sad look. “I’m sorry… I don’t know what that is,” He muttered apologetically.

Sensing the other’s confusion, Jihoon set the pen down and tried to come up with a different explanation. He turned to face Guanlin and pressed his hand to his own chest. 

 

 _‘Jihoon…’_ Guanlin thought to himself, piecing together what the other was trying to tell him.

 

The merman then tapped the mark he made on Guanlin’s chest.

 

_‘Jihoon… and the mark?’_

 

Jihoon proceeded to explain something in his own language, and when he was done, he looked up at the other expectantly.

 

Guanlin just blinked blankly at him. "What...?"  _Was he missing something?_

 

Huffing, Jihoon went through a series of hand gestures; pointing between the two of them and pointing to the water. He threw his hands into the air and tried to explain things that made no sense to Guanlin at all. And after a few minutes of getting nowhere, Jihoon sighed exhaustedly, slumping over in defeat. _‘I give up,’_ is what Guanlin assumed the other mumbled to him.

 

Letting out a sigh as well, Guanlin scratched the back of his neck. As well as the rest of his queries, he was probably going to have to save everything for another time—give them all a bit more thought before asking Jihoon again.

 

“We can try another night—” He was about to say, but just as the words left his mouth, Jihoon perked up with one more idea.

 

“What is it?” Guanlin asked, startled by the other’s sudden enthusiasm.

_‘Watch’_ is what he probably replied. 

 

Guanlin then observed as Jihoon flattened his hand, holding it parallel to the water’s surface. At first, it looked as though nothing were happening, but that was until rapidly, the ocean began to rise and spill over the edge of the dock, submerging the wood in a few inches of water and making the small boats around them tilt and bump into each other.

Quickly, Guanlin scrambled away from the incoming tide with his eyes wide in horror. He stifled a scream with his hand,  _“WHAT??”_ He screeched, stumbling backwards and falling onto his butt with a splash.

 

But before he could panic even further, Jihoon relaxed his posture. Just as quickly as the water rose, it lowered, and Jihoon concluded his little ‘show' with a swipe of his hand. Immediately, the ocean pushed back in an explosive wave and leveled out the surface to its original state.

 

Beaming with excitement, Jihoon turned to Guanlin, and—much to the teenager’s confusion and terror—Jihoon pointed directly to Guanlin’s chest.

“WHAT DOES THAT MEAN???” He shriekd, holding his face in his hands and pulling his hair in exasperation. “WHAT DOES _THAT—_ ” He pointed incredulously to the water “— _HAVE TO DO WITH ME??”_

 

Guanlin grew paler by the second, and he felt sick to his stomach. In the midst of his mental breakdown, he turned to the other and choked out, “ _You have magic?”_ To which Jihoon replied to with an unhelpful shrug. Rather than actually _explaining_ what the mark on his chest meant, this only left Guanlin even more confused than he was at the beginning of their meeting. His grandfather had told him that mermaids had magical properties to them, but he didn’t think it was to _this_ extent. He wondered what else Jihoon could do but at the same time, he was a little scared to find out.

 

Jihoon looked at him expectantly, finally saying something with a hopeful smile on his face. _‘So, do you get it?’_

Guanlin rapidly shook his head.

_“Argh!!”_ Jihoon groaned, slamming his face into his palms. He then slouched even further, resting his chin on his hand crestfallenly as if he really wanted Guanlin to understand what he was saying as well.

Hesitantly, Guanlin situated himself next to Jihoon at the edge of the dock again. “Sorry,” He muttered after some time, letting the other fall limp against his side.

In response, Jihoon sighed. He shot Guanlin a look that read, ‘ _What can we do?’_ Which Guanlin replied to with a shrug.

For the rest of the night, they continue to sit together peacefully. Jihoon went back to resting against Guanlin’s shoulder, latching onto his arm and humming the song Guanlin knew from his dreams—the song that always helped him find comfort when he’d wake up after drowning. Like countless times before, Guanlin relaxed at the familiar notes. He listened to it ring above the sound of the gentle waves around them, with the boats creaking against their roped binds and tapping against one another in the breeze.

Guanlin was left to his thoughts, staring out into the dark blue horizon and watching as its hue grew lighter as the hours ticked by. He was only able to confirm two things tonight; Jihoon had definitely saved him that day eight years ago and Jihoon was the one to give him the mark on his chest. Everything else he learned was just speculation and could easily be altered by any new information that Jihoon could possibly reveal to him with time—

“Guanlin?” He heard the other murmur against his shirt.

“Hm?” He hummed, and turned to the other again.

 

He watched as Jihoon made a circular motion around his neck and pointed to the string of pearls around his own neck, as if giving him an example.

 

“Ah,” _Jihoon was looking for the necklace he’d given him the previous night_ , Guanlin assumed. Obediently, he fished the little, black pearl from where he had hidden it underneath his shirt to show to the merman. “It’s right here.”

 

Upon seeing the present, Jihoon smiled, nodding contentedly before continuing on with his humming. But before he knew it, the sun was about to rise, and Guanlin bid the other farewell.

 

“Tomorrow,” He said, bending over the dock as Jihoon slipped back into the water. The merman watched him depart with sad eyes as he repeated, “We’ll meet again tomorrow. I promise.”

 

 

 

 

 

Guanlin kept his promise, and every single night that followed, he continued to uphold it; always promising the merman the same thing every time he’d leave.

 

Three days of successfully sneaking out of his home, turned into four. Then, five, six, seven, eight, and so on.

 

Every night they’d meet in the same location and try to communicate to their best efforts. While sometimes, they just ended up sitting together in silence, relishing in each other’s company, they also sometimes drew pictures, shared bits of their lives in their own languages, and taught each other to play games.

 

One night, Guanlin had tried to teach Jihoon to skip stones in the sea—which ended miserably on his part since he was only able to get his rock to skip twice before it plunged into the water. It was difficult, considering the unevenness of the surface. But once Jihoon managed to get a grasp at what the game was about, he tossed his stone skillfully, and it skipped over a dozen times before skidding under the waves.

 

“How are you so good at this?” Guanlin had asked him in disbelief, to which Jihoon replied to with a cheeky grin.

 

That game ultimately ended when Guanlin finally realized the other was using magic— _cheating—_ and _t_ he moment he figured it out, the merman laughed for a long while, half because he was teasing Guanlin for his frustration and half because the game was actually quite fun to him.

 

Guanlin only forgave the other when Jihoon decided to give him a hug, nuzzling his face into Guanlin’s shirt and effectively (and literally) softening his heart.

 

Another night, Jihoon showed up with a conch shell in his hands, and he gave the item to Guanlin who turned in his grasp.

 

It was vibrant pink in hue, and it had unexpectedly ragged edges. Guanlin had never seen a real conch shell up close, and he pressed it to his head to hear the fabled ‘ocean depths’ hum in his ears.

 

“It’s really pretty,” he’d said, returning the item to Jihoon. “Thank you.”

But the other shook his head, offering the shell back.

 

“Is this for me?” He asked, as he held it back to his chest.

 

Jihoon nodded and smiled up at him.

 

“O-Okay,” is how Guanlin replied, deciding that it wouldn’t hurt to keep the interesting shell.

 

But later, he came to regret not giving the item back because every night that followed, Jihoon presented him with new gifts—specifically _not_ jewelry, Guanlin eventually came to realize. It was understandable considering the first time the merman had given him those kinds of presents, he’d rejected them. But for some reason, Guanlin couldn’t bring himself to refuse the other anymore, and soon enough, the boy had a rows of colorful shells and rocks in his bedroom lining his window sill, scattered across his small dresser, and adorning nightstand. Every morning, the sun would grace his many presents and casted various colors and shapes onto his walls. It reminded him of the jewels and pearls that decorated Jihoon, and it'd make him smile, knowing that he’d get to meet the other later that day.

 

For nights, they would sometimes just listen to each other talk—not really knowing what the other was saying but still listening anyway. Guanlin always wondered what the other was speaking about because Jihoon occasionally looked sullen and lonely; softly muttering phrases in that beautiful, melodic language that rang in Guanlin’s ears for minutes afterwards. Other times, Jihoon would speak with a pep in his voice as if he were excited to be with Guanlin that night, holding onto his legs and smiling so brightly, his heart did somersaults in his chest.

Jihoon would listen to Guanlin speak in return; humming to show that he was paying attention even though he didn’t know what Guanlin was telling him. Guanlin never really said anything important, though; mostly just describing his day, the errands his grandfather had told him to do, or the games he played with the kids in town. Sometimes, he’d tell Jihoon about his life in Taipei and how he’d like to show him the city sometime. But something in his chest panged knowing that Jihoon would never understand his wish.

 

Among other odd things that the merman did, he noticed that Jihoon was adamant about getting Guanlin to swing his legs over the edge of the dock and dip his feet into the water at the beginning of each meeting. And quickly, it just became a routine— _Guanlin let the other do it without much thought._ He figured that maybe the other just needed something to rest on, so he dismissed reoccurring demand as something insignificant. _But all that changed one particular night._

 

Guanlin noticed that it began to grow rather difficult staying awake so late and waking up only hours later to run errands for his grandfather. One night, during one of their quieter meetings, Guanlin had accidentally dozed off to the sound of Jihoon’s gentle humming—singing that same song that always helped Guanlin find peace and comfort.

 

He didn’t really know how long he’d been out for, but when he awoke, he found his head on the other’s lap with Jihoon smiling adoringly at him, brushing his bangs back in a soothing motion that made Guanlin want to close his eyes and go right back to sleep. But sleep was near impossible, especially with the way his heartbeat doubled in pace with a flush that snuck up to his cheeks.

 

He abruptly sat up and cleared his throat in embarrassment. “S-Sorry,” He stammered, trying to avoid Jihoon’s gaze.

 

But in response, Jihoon said something that sounded far too affectionate for Guanlin’s rapidly fluttering heart to handle, and that night, he excused himself early—stalking off back to his home with his face beet red and ignoring Jihoon’s light giggling as he disappeared underneath the waves.

 

When Guanlin slipped back into his room that night and closed the door quietly behind him, he caught sight of himself in his mirror, giving himself a surprised onceover before flushing even darker.

 

Jihoon had taken it upon himself to decorate Guanlin lavishly—probably since the human couldn’t do anything about it during his sleep. The merman had given him the string of pearls that usually rested atop his head, and even more items that encircled around his neck and wound up his arms. Briefly, Guanlin wondered why the other was so intent on dressing him similarly to himself, and he wondered what it could mean to the merman. But there was no way he would be able describe that question to the other with just pictures and gestures— _let alone understand a response._

 

The following meeting, he politely returned everything, much to Jihoon's disappointment.

 

 

 

 

 

Guanlin was helping his grandpa move barrels of fish from his catch some days later—loading them onto a truck that would be sent out to the market in the nearest city.

 

His grandfather had explained to him that he and another fisherman took turns going to the market every other week to sell their combined catch, splitting the profit evenly like they had many times in the past. He mentioned that during Guanlin’s stay, they too would eventually have to go to the city and uphold their part of the job.

 

"Will we have to go soon?" Guanlin asked.

 

"No," His grandfather said, "Not unless we catch more than we can store."

 

Guanlin hummed, idly acknowledging the response before bending over to pick up the last of the barrels. But it was then that his suddenly grandfather stopped him.

 

“Where did you get that, kiddo?” He asked, pointing to Guanlin’s collar.

Guanlin paused and touched the necklace that Jihoon gave to him all those days back. It must had slipped out from where he usually had it tucked underneath his shirt. _“Um…”_  Guanlin stammered, desperately scraping together a believable lie. “A… friend back home… gave it to me?” He tried.

His grandfather’s eyes widened with disbelief. “Your _friend_ gave you a $1,500 Tahitian pearl?”

 

 _“W-What?”_ Guanlin choked out.

 

“Yeah, that’s a Tahitian pearl,” His grandfather said, taking the dark pearl in his hand and whistling lowly. “A _fine_ one at that.”

 

“R-Really?” stammered Guanlin. He felt his face heat up, and he bowed his head, thinking about the actual person—or, merman—who gave him the apparently _valuable_ item.

 

“Oh, yeah. Look at the size of this thing—it’s gotta be at least sixteen millimeters,” The elder observed, pulling out his glasses that were tucked in his vest pocket. “And that tint of blue is extraordinary, it’s almost fully black.”

 

Guanlin remained silent and eventually, his grandfather let go of the necklace to turn back to his work.

 

“You must be a very good friend, then,” He said with a hearty laugh that only succeeded in darkening Guanlin’s already red face. “I hope you at least gave them something in return.”

 

And it was then that Guanlin realized that he never did give Jihoon anything in return. Ever. Which was surprising since Jihoon was always giving Guanlin shells and rocks and _this expensive necklace that he was forced to accept_. He wondered if Jihoon had even expected anything from him.

 

“Sh-Should I get him something?” Guanlin asked his grandfather.

 

“Why not?” He answered. “He’s your friend, right? It’ll make him happy.”

 

“What should I get him?”

 

“That’s something only you can figure out, ‘Lin,” His grandfather smiled, patting his grandson on the shoulder. “You can think about it as we finish this up. Then, I have a few more things I need you to do for me and you’re free to do whatever you want with the rest of your day afterwards. Sound good?”

 

Nodding, Guanlin got back to work and finished up running errands for his grandfather.

 

He found himself wandering around the town at around 3PM, wracking his brain for ideas on what he could possibly get Jihoon. Now that he really thought about it, he didn’t know much about the other aside from what he could see because it wasn’t as if he could just _ask_ Jihoon his favorite color was, what his hobbies were, or if he preferred dogs over cats—or maybe, more appropriately— _sharks over dolphins?_

 

Sighing, Guanlin ended up walking into Mrs. Lin’s flower shop, deciding that he should say hello or see if she could possibly help him out.

 

The moment he stepped into Mrs. Lin’s flower shop, he was instantly greeted with the sound of cheerful humming and the scent of freshly picked flowers. He walked past thick rows of hydrangeas and larkspurs until he finally found the elderly woman sitting behind the counter, fiddling with a box of _something_.

 

“Hello, Mrs. Lin,” Guanlin greeted her before sitting on a stool directly across from her.

 

“Ah, Guanlin, sweetie! It’s always a pleasure to see you,” She smiled at him. “What brings you in today?”

 

“Nothing much,” replied Guanlin, making himself comfortable as he always did when he visited. He then finally caught a glimpse of what was in the box and asked, “What are you doing with all those daisies?”

 

“Making them into bracelets for the kids,” Mrs. Lin answered with a fond smile. “These little guys always seem to grow with the weeds, and I can never find it in my heart to throw them out,” She explained before holding out a string of the flowers to show Guanlin. “Pretty, right?”

 

Guanlin took it in his hands, turning it around in deep thought. “Yeah…” He trailed off.

 

It was then that it clicked in his mind. Jihoon liked to wear jewelry, so why not give him a daisy bracelet? It was perfect! Not only was it something that Jihoon would like, but it was made out of something he couldn’t find in the ocean.

 

Beaming, Guanlin exclaimed, “Mrs. Lin, can you teach me how to make one?”

 

“I—uh—Yes! Certainly!” She replied, surprised yet thrilled at Guanlin’s enthusiasm.

 

It took the entire afternoon and what felt like several _hundred_ tries, but after a few stumbles here and there, Guanlin eventually produced a semi-decent daisy chain. He held it up for the elderly woman to see.

 

“Do you think this is okay?” He asked unsurely.

 

Mrs. Lin grinned with a sparkle in her eyes. “It’s perfect, Guanlin. You put a lot of work into it,” She cooed, “Whoever it’s for will love it.”

 

Guanlin sputtered incoherently and tried to defend himself by denying her claim, but Mrs. Lin shot him a knowing wink before sending him off. “Run along, now, Guanlin, it’s almost dinner. Don’t make your grandpa wait!”

 

“Y-Yes, ma’am...”

 

Throughout the rest of the evening, the confidence Guanlin initially had in his present dwindled down until he didn’t even want to look at the item anymore. He was certain that Jihoon wasn’t going to like it. The longer Guanlin stared at it, the more imperfections he could count. The daisy chain was rather wonky and uneven in many places—definitely not as clean as the ones Mrs. Lin had produced—and it felt rather childish to be giving someone who was possibly his same age.

 

Guanlin had been so stressed about the daisy chain, he wasn’t even able to get any sleep in before a light squeeze pressed in his chest, signaling to him that Jihoon was by the dock.

 

Delicately placing the little bracelet in a box and stuffing that in his pocket, he snuck out of his house and met the merman as usual.

 

“H-Hey, Jihoon,” He greeted, letting the merman pull his legs into the water so that he could rest his chin on them.

 

They sat in silence for a while. Jihoon relaxed and relished in his company, while Guanlin, on the other hand, fought an internal war with himself until he was sweating bullets. Seconds turned into minutes, and minutes turned into an hour until Guanlin finally decided to just _go for it_. Before he could change his mind again, he patted the space next to himself on the dock and requested for Jihoon to sit.

 

Guanlin cleared his throat, “I-I have something for you,” he said, sucking in a tight breath before taking out the little box. He opened it to reveal the daisy chain he made. “I know it’s no pearl or shell or anything, but I hope you still like it…” He explained with a gulp.

 

Jihoon looked at the item curiously and watched as Guanlin took Jihoon’s hand in his to slip the circle of flowers over his wrist. Guanlin’s heart twisted uncomfortably, realizing that his present looked rather silly against all the extravagant pearls and jewels adorning the beautiful merman. “I-If you don’t like it, I can get you something else—” Guanlin tried to reason. But his words were cut off, however, when Jihoon suddenly gasped, looking at the item with his eyes shining and turning his hand under the moonlight to examine it at different angles.

 

“Y-You like it?” Guanlin asked with hope ringing in his voice.

 

And the merman didn’t even have to answer. Jihoon _adored_ it.

 

He pressed his wrist up to his chest and held the bracelet like it were the most precious thing in the universe. He spoke quickly to Guanlin—probably thanking him—and alternated between looking at the other and gazing at the daisy chain on his arm.

 

Guanlin flushed, trying to bite back his growing grin. “A-Ah, it’s no problem, really. It’s nothing in comparison to what you—” But before he could finish, he suddenly felt a soft pair of lips touching his cheek, effectively shutting Guanlin up and freezing his heart in his chest.

 

It was gentle— _sweet—_ Jihoon's lips feeling feather light against Guanlin’s skin.

 

The merman placed his fingers over Guanlin’s on the dock, gripping them gently and then slowly twining them together with his. Using his free hand, he cupped the side of Guanlin’s face to hold him steady, leaving behind beads of sea water when he rubbed his thumb against the swell of Guanlin’s cheekbone.

 

Guanlin didn’t know when the kiss ended because all he could think about was the overwhelming sensation of his skin prickling with heat. He felt as though his entire body was simmering everywhere Jihoon had touched him.

 

Guanlin was left shocked—his insides reduced to a puddle of goo. Numbly, he touched the spot of skin where the ghost of Jihoon’s lips still lingered, and he flushed about a trillion shades darker than he already was.

 

Jihoon didn’t even notice that the other was melting when he linked their arms together like he always did, leaning against his side and resting his head on Guanlin’s shoulder. Even though they’d done this countless of times before, tonight felt different, but Guanlin’s brain wasn’t functioning well enough to understand why.

 

Thankfully, Jihoon didn’t have anything to say. So, they sat together quietly until the first rays of sun peeked over the ocean’s horizon.

 

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Jihoon,” was the only thing Guanlin was able to say that night.

 

It was only when Guanlin was back in his bed could he think coherently again. He wondered what present exchanging might mean to the other if it elicited _that_ affectionate of a response—or if kissing someone on the cheek was just a normal way of saying thanks.

 

 

 

 

 

Around noon the following day, Guanlin found himself halfway through his list of errands, gradually checking things off as he got things done.

 

His day had started out normally—or, what he considered _normal_ now that he’d met Jihoon. He barely even thought about it anymore, but it was weird being able to wake up every morning without experiencing the feeling of dying and being yanked back into life in the span of mere seconds. For _years_ he suffered through this pain and he tried everything to somehow get rid of the nightmares, or at least make the daily healing process a bit more bearable. He’d gotten used to it, accepting the curse as a simple burden he’d have to carry with him for the rest of his life. But now— _now that he’d met the merman_ —everything was just _gone_.

 

His day carried on, and Guanlin completed even more of his duties between getting sidetracked with the kids who asked him to play hide-and-seek and the few times he stopped to chat with a fisherman or a shopkeeper.

 

Soon enough, he wandered into the Huang’s bakery to pick up a loaf of bread. He quite liked the Huang’s, though, so visiting wasn't an errand to him, and they enjoyed his company just as much as he did.

 

Guanlin stepped into their bakery and was welcomed with the chime of bells and the delightful scent of freshly baked goods. Mr. Huang’s voice sounded from the back, “It’s good to see you, Guanlin! What brings you in today?”

 

“Bread,” Guanlin replied, showing the man his list of errands.

 

“Bread and a cupcake?” Mrs. Huang piped up, rising from behind the counter from where she was organizing the cakes on display.

 

Guanlin snickered. “I don’t have money for a cupcake—”

 

“It’s on the house!” She grinned.

 

Mr. Huang sighed lightly. “Honey, how are we supposed to make money if you keep giving away—”

 

“Oh, hush!” She slapped his arm, reasoning, “Guanlin is a good kid and my favorite customer, he deserves it!”

 

Guanlin’s cheeks tinted pink and he thanked her with a grateful bow. "Really, you're too kind."

 

"And you're too sweet!" Mrs. Huang grinned. She then turned to her husband and shot him a playful glare.

 

Mr. Huang exhaled, turning to go fetch the said items, “Fine, fine. I’ll go get it."

 

 _“Thank you,”_ Guanlin tried to say.

 

But before he could get the words out, his throat suddenly clogged and Guanlin found himself falling straight to the ground.

 

A powerful surge of pain burst in his chest. The air around him seemed to thicken, weighing down on him as if he’d been submerged into the deep, crushing expanse of the ocean.

 

Guanlin heaved and cried out. He curling in on himself and began to shake.

 

_“OH MY GOD—”_

 

“What’s happening to him?”

 

“Guanlin, sweetie what’s wrong?”

 

“He’s not breathing—”

 

Guanlin could hear the voices of both Mr. and Mrs. Huang, but their words warped into muffled garble as another surging grip compressed at his entire body—squeezing all the air out of his lungs. All Guanlin could hear was his heart stuttering irregularly in his ears, ringing with white noise. _He was suffocating_. Like he had many times before. Only this time, _it felt worse._

 

The world tilted and spun in circles around him until he felt nauseous, and he gasped dryly against the floor.

 

But it was then that the pain vanished, disappearing just as quickly as it came, leaving Guanlin shaken and disorientated. 

 

 _Something was wrong with Jihoon,_ he suddenly thought.

 

The first thing he heard when he regained his senses was Mrs. Huang’s voice. It was shrill and he felt her touch his back, rubbing circles between his shoulder blades. “Honey, call an ambulance I think he’s—”

 

 _“I’m fine,”_ Guanlin managed to grit out between gasps for air.  _He needed to get to Jihoon._

 

“A-Are you sure?”

 

“Yes, I have to go,” He grunted, standing up on wobbly legs.

 

He stumbled the first few steps and almost crashed back onto the floor. But somehow, he made his way out the door, breaking out into a sprint towards his home and ignoring the cries of the newly-wed couple behind him.

 

Guanlin burst into the living room only to find it empty. Panting, he threw his backpack onto the ground and scribbled a note to his grandfather, writing: _“I’ll finish chores later”_ before he ran right back out.

 

He didn’t know where to start looking for Jihoon. It was still daytime and the sun was still up in the sky, blazing down on him. Guanlin sprinted down the shoreline and ran up and down the piers—searched between docked boats, beams, and any other space the merman could possibly be hidden. It was only after about ten minutes of searching did Guanlin remember the little bay where Jihoon had dropped him off the first day that they met. With that destination in mind, Guanlin bounded towards the forest and pushed through the thick trees.

 

He ran and ran, and the moment he burst through into the clearing, he saw Jihoon sitting with his back pressed up against a rock, hunched over and shivering.

 

Guanlin’s heart sunk into his stomach. _“JIHOON!”_ He yelled, running across the sand and unconsciously stepping into the low tide area. He knelt by the other, holding him up by his shoulders and searching him desperately. “What happened? Are you okay?”

 

Although Jihoon refused to meet his eyes, Guanlin could see that they were puffy and red with his nose tinted a similar color.  _He’d been crying._ Guanlin felt his chest tighten at the thought.

 

“What’s wrong?” He whispered, holding Jihoon’s face in his hands and smoothing the pads of his thumbs across his tear-stained cheeks. He brushed back his hair, trying to get the merman to look at him, and when he finally did, Guanlin’s heart nearly shuddered to a halt.

 

Jihoon looked devastated—hurt and sadness pooling in his eyes, filling them to the brim until they were glassy and overflowing with tears again. “G-Guanlin…” He croaked, his lips trembling.

 

“No, please don’t cry,” Guanlin whispered. He wanted to do anything to make Jihoon feel better—he wanted to tell Jihoon that ‘ _everything was going to be okay,’_ and erase the merman’s hurt with words of affection and comfort. But Jihoon wouldn’t understand him and it frustrated Guanlin to no end. He felt hopeless— _useless_.

 

Jihoon sniffled again and in panic, Guanlin hugged him, pulling Jihoon’s head into his shoulder and holding him by the small of his back.

 

He felt Jihoon’s shoulders shake and the merman muttered a single phrase over and over again, chanting it brokenly with every sob.

 

 _“Shhh,_ it’s okay,” Guanlin tried to tell him, reinforcing his words by rubbing small, soothing patterns into Jihoon’s skin.

 

And after a few minutes, Jihoon finally calmed down enough for them to separate.

 

Guanlin sat back on his shins and uttered, _“What’s wrong?”_ still holding onto Jihoon’s shoulders in fear that he’d fall apart again.

 

Reluctantly, Jihoon held up a single, wilted daisy, in a shaking grasp, and staring at it with his heart breaking in his eyes. At the sight of the flower, he choked up again.

 

 _“T-That’s it?”_ Guanlin asked incredulously.

 

The merman’s lips wobbled and tears began to spill down his cheeks again, clutching the daisy to his chest and muttering the same phrase he’d been chanting earlier. He looked at Guanlin with hurt, his eyes pleading for forgiveness, but Guanlin, on the other hand, couldn’t hold himself together any longer and burst into laughter.

 

He snorted and bent over, clutching at his sides over how ridiculous the situation had been. And at the sudden outburst, Jihoon’s eyes widened with confusion, sniffling and muttering something with his voice cracking.

 

“I-I’m sorry,” Guanlin wheezed, trying to look at Jihoon again who just continued to stare at him in shock. He couldn’t force away the smile on his lips as he explained, “Daisy chains aren’t meant to last, I forgot to consider that.”

 

He was relieved that the entire situation was nothing serious, but Jihoon didn’t understand that. Instead, he continued to look guilty and sad that he’d broken the present Guanlin had given to him.

 

Still chuckling, Guanlin picked the lone daisy from Jihoon’s hand and tucked it behind his webbed ear. Even though the daisy was pretty much dead, Jihoon still managed to make it look beautiful.

 

The merman touched the flower in his hair and looked at his reflection in the water. He sniffled a little, but managing to shoot Guanlin a wobbly smile.

 

"Hold on," Guanlin said, and rose from the water to walk into the forest. He searched around for a bit before finding what he needed, and quickly walked back to the shore where Jihoon was.

 

The merman watched as Guanlin dumped handfuls of daisies into his lap from where he plucked them between the shrubbery and weeds.

 

“I’ll make you more so you don’t have to be upset,” Guanlin stated before getting to work on a brand-new daisy chain.

 

Trying to recall Mrs. Lin’s instructions, he braided together a bracelet and presented it to Jihoon after a few minutes. “Ta-da!” He cheered softly.

 

Eagerly, Jihoon presented his hand to Guanlin and allowed him to slip the daisy chain over his wrist. The merman sighed in relief once it was on, smiling happily at the bracelet and holding it protectively in his hands. _‘Thank you,’_ is probably what Jihoon sighed.

 

Guanlin smiled as well before returning his attention to the rest of the daisies he’d picked.

 

Jihoon watched in fascination as Guanlin’s long fingers worked at the little flowers, twisting the stems together and knotting them in place. Soon enough, Guanlin made Jihoon three more bracelets and even a crown that he placed over the other's pearl headpiece, fully decorating the merman with flowers until he was finally satisfied.

 

When Jihoon turned to look at himself in the reflection of the water again, he beamed, exclaiming something excitedly and planting another kiss onto Guanlin’s cheek.

 

Guanlin laughed all gums and teeth. “It’s no problem,” He grinned, adjusting a stray daisy in Jihoon’s hair. “I’ll make you more next time, okay? Please don’t cry again.”

 

In response, Jihoon scooted himself closer and latched onto his arm, humming contentedly.

 

Guanlin sighed. It didn’t look like Jihoon was going to move from this spot any time soon, but he supposed that it wouldn’t hurt to sit with the other like this even though it was the middle of the day. No one ever came out here anyway, he told himself, so they were safe.

 

Guanlin stretched his legs out and made himself comfortable next to the other. It had been a while since he last saw Jihoon in the sunlight, and seeing the other so clearly like this lit a flame in his stomach that made the human feel warm and fuzzy on the inside.

 

The sun casted a crown of light around his golden hair, making the flowers and gems on his head twinkle when he moved. In the light, he noticed that the pearls on his body were tinted pink, blue, and cream, and that his eyes were actually a deep shade of brown, holding the same amount of brightness as the midday sky.

 

He felt his heart yank in his chest as though it were pulling him towards Jihoon. As always, he found himself transfixed.

 

Guanlin didn’t know what to make of his feelings for the other quite yet. He knew that he liked Jihoon and being with him made him feel inexplicably complete, as if he belonged to be next the other. But there was still so much he didn’t know about him, and he couldn’t just let himself base his emotions off a gut feeling. Guanlin was far past thinking that Jihoon was going to do anything horrible to him, considering how kindly Jihoon treated him and how he was always eager to see him every night for the past few weeks, calling him every time when the moon was up.

 

Briefly, Guanlin wondered why this time, Jihoon had called him with the same suffocating pressure that came with his dreams instead of the regular, gentle tugging that he’d grown used to. Did Jihoon know how badly it hurt Guanlin? Was he the one who made him ache even from when he was living in Taipei?

 

Guanlin still wanted answers. But while that was the initial reason that drove him to meet with the other, Guanlin grew to really like Jihoon instead. He found that he just wanted to spend time with the merman with no question, and he never wanted it to end. Guanlin wasn’t expecting to meet such a person—a _merman_ —during his summer vacation, and he couldn't bear to think about what would happen when it was all over.

 

Jihoon suddenly turned to Guanlin and opened his mouth to say something, but then shut it. Instead, he crawled toward the dry sand and drew in it with his finger; a crescent moon and a circle—which was the sun, Guanlin supposed. Jihoon gestured between the two of them before he drew an ‘X’ through the moon and circled the sun.

 

“You want to meet during the day instead? Yeah, that’s fine,” Guanlin affirmed with a nod.

 

Smiling, Jihoon nodded as well, pulling himself back into the water to leave.

 

Guanlin stood to leave as well, but before Jihoon could fully turn away, he whipped back to Guanlin and caught him by the arm.

 

“Yes?” Guanlin asked, looking down at him confusedly.

 

Jihoon bit his bottom lip in thought. His cheeks dusted a light shade of pink as he opened and closed his mouth wordlessly.

 

Guanlin was about to speak up again to ask, ‘ _Is everything okay?’_ but it was then that Jihoon finally found the words he was looking for.

 

Stammering with his voice heavily accented, Jihoon spoke softly and carefully, repeating the words that Guanlin told him every night after their meetings. “I-I’ll see you… t-to-mo-rrow?”

 

Guanlin’s mouth dropped in shock and his heart fluttered rapidly in his throat upon hearing the other speak to him in  _his own_ language. Guanlin didn’t even know he was holding his breath until Jihoon began to whisper the phrase back to himself, probably wondering if he said it right.

 

 _“Y-YES!”_ Guanlin replied a bit too loudly, exploding a brilliant shade of red.

 

“Yes?” Jihoon repeated in a breath.

 

Guanlin nodded rapidly. “Y-Yes! I’ll see you tomorrow!”

 

Jihoon broke out into a relieved grin and, with that, slipped back into the water. “G-Goodbye, Guanlin!” He called.

 

“Bye!” Guanlin replied weakly.

 

He watched as Jihoon dove back under the waves, and as Guanlin turned to walk away, he noticed a familiar daisy crown float to the surface. A few seconds following, a hand suddenly shot out of the water, grabbed the item, and yanked it back down— _Jihoon carrying it all the way to the ocean depths._

 

At this, Guanlin laughed, noting that he’d probably have to make Jihoon another before their next meeting tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> /YODELS  
> lol g o d, I write so much panwink fanfiction I don't even know what to say in these authors notes anymore……uh.……. sldjfklsdf ?????  
> SORRY FOR THE DELAY THO OMG I didn't even realize that it's been a month LMAO no one said anything to me :'DD jlkfjaksd actually, this was supposed to be done last week but I couldn't get it finished cuz school bUT I promised I'd have it out today so here we are! :D u can thank a cc anon for that lol :')))  
> aaaaanyway… I hope that was good and TELL ME WHAT U THINK! LOL I'll proofread this again later but right now I really need to take a nap lolol I'll see u guys next time ;)
> 
> (twt@onguanlinnie / cc@coppercoin)


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SDKSKD for all of u who don’t follow me on twitter https://twitter.com/onguanlinnie/status/999906559680393216 <\- here is a recap of all the chapters previous to this if u don’t remember what’s been going on :’DD
> 
> (or u can just fuckign reread this since the pw tag updates like Once a Week sdkskkd /laughs bitterly with tears rolling down my face)
> 
> Anyway lets geddit!!! THIS CHAPTER IS 11.5K FFUCKGIN WORDS THIS IS THE LONGEST UPDATE I HAVE EVER DONE IN MY LIFE FOR ANY FIC IM ???? ?? ?

Guanlin hurried through his daily list of errands the next morning since he wasn’t exactly sure what time the merman would make his appearance.

 

It occurred to him that Jihoon had only requested for them to meet during the day, but other than that, he didn’t communicate a precise _time_ , leaving Guanlin to scramble around in hopes that he’d be done with his errands before he felt a little tug in his chest, signaling to him that Jihoon was waiting.

 

So, as quickly as he could, he ran through his list starting with watering his grandmother’s garden, then scouring his grandpa’s shed to find what he assumed to be poorly drawn picture of a pair of nose pliers, then later, cleaning up the kitchen stove. After all the house chores were done, he ran through town picking up fishing supplies and other random items for the elder.

 

At around two o’clock, Guanlin found himself done for the day but still with no sign of Jihoon. Disheartened and growing restless, the teenager decided that he’d head over to the little bay and wait for the other in the meantime. So he dropped everything off at his grandfather’s house and made his way towards the edge of the town, into the forest, and towards their new meeting spot.

 

It was a hot, humid day. The sun beat down on him from a cloudless blue sky, and the warm moisture from the air stuck uncomfortably to his skin, making his clothes cling to his body.

 

Only in the forest did the temperature cool slightly thanks to the thick shade of the trees and the cool dampness of the earth. So Guanlin took his time walking here, picking up daisies as he saw them, carefully weaving them into a bracelet for Jihoon.

 

When he emerged from the forest and stepped in the sand of the small bay, there was still no sign of the other anywhere. Guanlin sighed and kicked off his shoes, tossing his phone onto the ground too, knowing that Jihoon would probably get the device wet if he brought it with him. Then, he chose a shaded spot on the shore, somewhere close to the low tide area where Jihoon could make himself comfortable. And once Guanlin was situated, he began to wait.

 

It actually took the merman quite some time before he showed up. Guanlin first made use of his time by finishing up Jihoon’s bracelet, and when he was done with that, he chose to lie on his back and close his eyes, just listening to the roll of the waves and the gulls crying above him.

 

The peace was eventually— _finally—_ interrupted when he heard shifting in the water and an excited gasp, followed by an equally excited _“Guanlin!”_

 

Immediately, the teenager pulled himself up to find the merman paddling his way across the shallow water and crawling up to the wet sand to reach him. Guanlin scooted up to meet Jihoon halfway, and although the waves could reach him here, the teenager bashfully realized that his discomfort with the water faded upon seeing the other. Part of him still wanted to say that it was just because the tide only reached up to his ankles, but another part of him knew better than that.

 

Guanlin sat down next to Jihoon, and the merman suddenly saddened. He watched as the other pulled his woven bag from his shoulder and opened it to reveal the daisies Guanlin had given him the day before, which were now soggy with the knots between each stem coming undone.

 

“You kept them all?” He asked in disbelief, picking up a handful of the daisies and watching as their petals fell lifelessly into the water.

 

At the sight of this, Jihoon panicked, gasped, and tried to catch each petal before the waves could take them away. Carefully, he scooped them up in his hands and returned them safely to his bag with a relieved sigh.

 

“You don’t have to keep them all, Jihoon,” Guanlin tried to explain, “It’s useless. I’ll just bring you new ones.”

 

But Jihoon couldn’t understand him nor understand how silly it was to keep around dead flowers. He just continued to gaze happily at his small collection of daisies as if they were diamonds, smiling to himself and closing the bag gingerly. Even though this was the case, something fluttered in Guanlin’s chest knowing that Jihoon loved the simple presents enough to keep them regardless of how they looked.

 

“Here,” Guanlin said after a few moments. He pulled out the daisy chain he made earlier today, and upon seeing it, Jihoon lit up, offering his hand to Guanlin so that he could put it on him.

 

And as expected, Jihoon adored it, cherishing the small thing as if he didn’t receive one only yesterday. He turned to Guanlin with happiness gleaming in his eyes and twisted his wrist around, holding it up to the afternoon sky to admire it further. And although his reaction was the same as last time, his response still made Guanlin’s stomach burst with butterflies and his cheeks heat up with flustered satisfaction. “You’re welcome,” He murmured, unsuccessfully biting back a grin.

 

Guanlin wasn't expecting for Jihoon to take his hand next, and guide it over his eyes, instructing him to do something in his language.

 

“What’s wrong?” He asked, peeking from between his fingers. The action rewarded him with a light flick to the nose and a displeased pout from the merman, “You want me to close my eyes?” He guessed.

 

Assuming that’s what the other wanted him to do, Guanlin held his palm steady over his eyes and he felt Jihoon take his free arm. The other hesitated for a few moments, before sliding something over Guanlin’s hand. When the merman finally allowed him to open his eyes again, he found a thin, roped bracelet dangling from his wrist with a single cowrie shell in the middle. It was a pretty little thing, but even if he _did_ like it, Guanlin thought he told the merman he didn’t need jewelry…

 

“I like it, but you already gave me the neckla—” His voice trailed off when he saw the merman bite his bottom lip nervously, hunching in on himself and glancing between his present and Guanlin’s expression to see if he would reject the bracelet like he did before.

 

Guanlin’s chest twisted with guilt at the thought of upsetting the other again, so with a defeated sigh, he let the smile he was holding back inch across his lips _._ “It’s beautiful,” He whispered, “Thank you.”

 

At first, Jihoon couldn’t seem to believe it. He gestured to Guanlin and the bracelet with wide eyes, asking something that probably said, _‘you’re going to keep it?’_ To which Guanlin replied with a nod.

 

Jihoon grinned shyly and twined their hands together—the shell and daisy bracelets around their wrists clashing picturesquely. Guanlin found that he couldn’t bring himself to regret accepting the gift, seeing how happy he made Jihoon simply just wearing it.

 

After that, the rest of their day carried on as usual. Jihoon tightly linked his arm with Guanlin’s and leaned his head against his shoulder, alternating between telling him something in his language and humming his song above the peaceful crashing of the waves.

 

Guanlin couldn’t remember a time when he’d felt this comfortable as he dozed off as well, leaning against the other as well. It felt like years ago when Guanlin was afraid to close his eyes, scared that he’d dream of drowning and wake up unable to breathe, when in reality, the dreams only stopped less than a month ago. Briefly, he wondered if Jihoon really was the one who triggered the dreams—because he definitely helped them go away. And if so, why did he do it?

 

The merman stopped humming and the lack of noise pulled Guanlin from his thoughts. He heard Jihoon mutter something that sounded solemn, and when he turned to look, he caught a sad smile making its way across the other’s lips. The sight made the feather light feeling in Guanlin’s chest fade.

 

It was times like these that he wished that he could understand what Jihoon was saying. Dimly, he wondered what the merman’s life was like outside their meetings, but it was hopeless. All he could do was scoot closer to the merman and squeeze his hand reassuringly and it was enough for the light to return to Jihoon’s eyes.

 

It must have worked, because the merman paused for a bit before he eventually continued with his little song.

 

Before the sun could set, Jihoon detached himself from Guanlin’s side and pointed out to the sea.

 

“You have to go?” Guanlin asked, yawning and stretching his arms. When Jihoon shot him a sad look, he promised the other, “Don’t worry, I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”

 

Nodding, Jihoon carefully repeated, _“t-tomorrow”_ with a soft grin blossoming across his face. He then pointed to the daisy bracelet Guanlin had given him and recited in a small, unsure voice, “T-Than-k you?”

 

Guanlin felt his heart clench, nodding rapidly to show the merman that he understood him. “You’re welcome,” He replied bashfully. He then pointed to the bracelet Jihoon had given him, saying, “Thank you, too.”

 

And to that, Jihoon excitedly repeated, “You’re welcome!”

 

With a final wave and shooting Guanlin another smile, the merman shouted, “Goodbye, Guanlin! Tomorrow!!”

 

Guanlin nodded and waved back, laughing, “Yes, we’ll meet again tomorrow, Jihoon!”

 

With that promise, the merman dove under the ocean’s surface, disappearing for the day.

 

 

 

 

 

Guanlin took his time making his way back to his grandfather’s house, watching as the sun made its decent behind the ocean’s horizon, painting the small fishing town in shades of oranges and reds.

 

He strolled down the uneven road running parallel to the ocean’s shoreline, and listened to the steady roll of the waves and the towns folk wishing each other a good evening as they docked their boats and closed their stores for the day.

 

Soon enough, Guanlin stepped up the stairs leading up to the little white home at the edge of the town, and when he opened the door, he was greeted with the smell of dinner and the sound of cheerful whistling.

 

“Ah, there you are, ‘Lin! What took you so long?” His grandfather asked from where he was standing in the kitchen.

 

Guanlin kicked off his shoes and moved to wash his hands in the sink so that he could set up the table. “Sorry,” He apologized, “I was with a friend and lost track of the time…”

 

“That’s alright,” The elder replied with a satisfied grin, “I’m glad to hear you’re having fun.”

 

“I am,” Guanlin assured him, a small smile spreading across his lips as well. As he began to lay out silverware on either side of the small dining table, he asked with a hum, “So how was your day, Grandpa? Did you catch anything good?”

 

“I did! For the past two days, actually. There has been a large influx of fish in the afternoons recently and it’s set us ahead of schedule by a few days.”

 

“Really?” Guanlin asked distractedly as he neatly set out their eating utensils.

 

His grandpa nodded from where he couldn’t see. With a teasing tone, he added, “There’s probably a mermaid swimming in these parts.”

 

At the statement, Guanlin froze, and an uncomfortable feeling slithered its way up his spine, making his stomach squirm and his eyes widen with fright.

 

“It’s a shame though, my catch probably would have been better if I had caught it,” his grandfather continued.

 

Even though the other was probably only joking, Guanlin’s heart stopped and his ears began to ring. A million things began to fly though Guanlin's mind, all regarding Jihoon and—

 

“Ah, careful!” His grandpa chided worriedly, stepping away from where he was standing in front of the stove.

 

Guanlin blinked out of his stupor, stuttering, “W-What?”

 

“You dropped a knife,” He replied and picked it up from the floor. “Are you okay, Guanlin?”

 

“O-Oh, yeah… sorry,” Guanlin stammered, “I’m fine. I just got distracted, is all.”

 

“You’re not hurt, are you?”

 

“I’m not,” Guanlin assured him, showing him his hands.

 

With a relieved sigh, his grandpa said, “Take it easy, I can take care of the rest from here. Go sit down for a few minutes and I’ll call you when dinner is ready, okay?”

 

Nodding, Guanlin made his way into the living room, took a seat on the couch, and slumped back. From this angle, he could see into the kitchen and watch his grandfather work. He was harmless, Guanlin knew that, and most of all, he trusted him, but the elder's last words played in the back of Guanlin's head, making him feel wary. His stomach dropped at the thought of what could happen if his grandpa found out about Jihoon—or really if _anyone_ found out about him. Something fiery and protective began to rise in Guanlin's chest, and he realized that he couldn’t bear to see anything bad happen to the merman that he’d come to cherish within such a short amount of time.

 

So tomorrow, he decided that he’d tell Jihoon they should go back to meeting during the night. It was safer that way. But for now, he could only hope that the merman’s presence didn’t spark any other suspicions…

 

It took some time for Guanlin's grandfather to get ready, so the teenager looked around, only to find that the table right next to him turned out to be the one full of mermaid trinkets his grandfather had been collecting during his time alone.

 

Guanlin began to pick through the items, remembering how silly he found his grandpa’s hobby when he first arrived all those weeks ago. A newfound interest for the items thrummed within him as he carefully looked through the statuettes and ‘mermaid artifacts’ in the elder's collection.

 

In the back corner of the table, Guanlin noticed a pile of books that he vaguely recalled looking through on his first day. He picked one up at a time, flipping through the pages briefly before grabbing for the next one. He found that most of the books were just lore or little stories, but amongst them was a book that he couldn’t understand—a book that he remembered dismissing as just damaged to the point where it was unreadable.

 

Carefully, he set the hefty book on his lap and turned through its crinkly pages in thought. It occurred to Guanlin that this book may be written in Jihoon’s language. _But how could mermaids even have a written language?_ He wondered.

 

“Guanlin! Dinner is ready!” His grandpa suddenly called.

 

“Coming!” Guanlin replied. Reluctantly, he set everything back where he found it and made his way towards the dining table. His grandpa was already excitedly scooped massive portions onto the teenager’s plate—portions far too big for him to eat. But he was going to have to finish it all anyway unless he wanted a scolding, Guanlin sighed lightheartedly.

 

Dinner went on comfortably—the pair filled their time with stories and conversations that usually ended in laughter. But before they could finish up, Guanlin’s grandfather spoke up, saying, “Remember two days ago when I told you we’d have to take a trip to the neighboring city to sell fish at the market?”

 

Guanlin nodded, dimly remembering their conversation, “Yes, what about it?”

 

“It looks like we’re going to be heading off a bit sooner,” The elder explained with an excited smile. “We’re leaving on Friday instead.”

 

“This Friday??” Guanlin asked, his voice pitched. “That’s so soon, w-why?”

 

“Well, it’s like I said; there has been an influx of fish in the sea these past few days, so we have enough to go to the market this week rather than the next. And since last time, my buddy took the trip, now it’s our turn to go.”

 

“Oh,” The teenager replied, sounding more deflated than usual, “I… _see.”_

 

At this, his grandfather chuckled. “What’s the matter, ‘Lin? Don’t you miss the city? I mean, it’s definitely not Taipei but it’s still a lot bigger than this old fishing town.”

 

“That’s not it,” Guanlin murmured. And with a fond smile, he quietly added, “I actually really like it here.”

 

A grin spread across his grandpa’s face as well, “The city is only two hours from here, and we’ll only be gone for the weekend. It’ll pass by quickly. Before you know it, we’ll be back.” He assured him. With that, he then stood from the dinner table, pat Guanlin on the shoulder, and began to wash his plates. “Besides,” The elder continued from the kitchen, “It’ll be fun! I have a lot of things I want to show you and a ton of places I want you to see!”

 

“Sounds good,” Guanlin replied. However, Friday was only a few days from now and Guanlin wondered how he was going to explain to Jihoon that he’d be gone for three days. He didn’t want to leave the merman, but then again, three days wasn’t a long time and he’d get to spend the entire weekend with his grandpa, which _did_ sound fun considering the elder was always busy fishing in the sea.

 

So, with a smile, Guanlin decided that he’d sort the details out later and just make the most of his time with Jihoon before then.

 

 

 

 

 

The following day, Guanlin finished running errands a bit later than he would have liked.

 

He was walking back to his grandfather’s house to drop everything off when he suddenly felt a soft tugging at his chest, signaling to him that Jihoon was waiting for him at the small bay already.

 

As quickly as he could, Guanlin hurried down the street and pushed open the door, unloading various groceries he had gotten for his grandfather that day before shoving a few gummy snacks he had secretly bought into his backpack. But before he could leave out the door, Guanlin paused, backtracked a few steps into the living room, and made his way to the table in the far corner of the living room. Absentmindedly, Guanlin scooped up the strange book he was looking at last night to flip through its pages. And after a few moments of hesitation, he slipped it into his backpack as well before running outside to meet with Jihoon.

 

The mark on the teenager's skin didn’t stop squeezing until he finally emerged from the forest and stepped out onto the sand where he found Jihoon, waiting with an anxious expression on his face.

 

Upon seeing him, the merman visibly relaxed. “Guanlin!” He exclaimed, beckoning him over to where he was seated.

 

“Hi, sorry I’m late,” Guanlin replied, sitting crisscrossed on the wet sand and scooting closer to Jihoon. “My chores took a bit longer than I expected, but I ran here as fast as I could so—”

 

Suddenly, Jihoon was hugging him, sighing out words of relieved sentences and humming into his shoulder contentedly. He could feel the other smile into the fabric of his shirt, with his fingers curling into the back of Guanlin’s hair.

 

Guanlin snickered and returned the gesture happily. “Sorry, I’ll try to be faster next time,” He promised, patting Jihoon’s back. “But the wait was worth it, see?”

 

He pulled from the other’s grasp, and Jihoon watched in curious fascination as he dug around in his backpack, procuring the bag of gummies he’d bought.

 

“Ta-da!” Guanlin cheered.

 

Jihoon gasped.

 

Guanlin smiled at the other's awed expression. But worriedly, he flipped to look at the back of the package to read the ingredients. “Hold on... Are these even safe for you to eat?"

 

But all of a sudden, the merman snatched the bag from his hands, tore open the package with his teeth, and shoved an entire fistful of the gummies into his mouth without giving Guanlin any time to react.

 

 _“Wha—”_ Guanlin stared wide-eyed as the other devoured everything. “Y-You know what these are?” He asked incredulously. And although he couldn’t get a straight response from Jihoon, he already had his answer based off assumptions alone.

 

“Mmmmm!!” Jihoon sighed delightedly, picking up another and popping it into his mouth.

 

Guanlin's initial shock eventually wore off, and although he was still confused, he settled on the notion that he’d never get to know _why_ or _how_ Jihoon knew what gummies were. So, Guanlin simply laughed, saying, “You like to eat gummies, Jihoon?” before taking one for himself as well. But by the time he wanted a second piece, the bag was already empty, and Jihoon was turning it upside-down, poking his face into the opening to see if there were any left. Which there was none.

 

With a pout, the merman shoved the wrapper back into Guanlin's backpack and rummaged through it, looking for more snacks. But instead of finding snacks, Jihoon found the book Guanlin had taken.

 

Jihoon’s eyes widened as he flipped through its pages quickly, turning to Guanlin and launching a series of surprised questions at him.

 

“W-What is it?” Guanlin asked, peering over take a look at the page Jihoon stopped at. He couldn’t read any of it though, so he just stared confusedly at the curly, intricate symbols that stretched across its faded pages.

 

Jihoon said something, then positioned himself closer to Guanlin and gestured for him to look at the first page with him.

 

Obediently, Guanlin watched as the merman began to trail his finger along the words while reading them aloud for him. The book was probably a collection of poems or songs, Guanlin thought, because the way Jihoon recited each sentence was so beautiful, it flowed with a certain tempo and rhyme, that sent shivers crawling down his spine. Although he had listened to Jihoon speak many times before, Guanlin always found himself taken away with how melodic his language sounded; ringing in his ears like windchimes.

 

As Jihoon continued to read, Guanlin made use of his time weaving together a daisy bracelet for him and looking up every now and then to catch the happy, reminiscent smile on Jihoon’s face.

 

He wondered what the book was about, and why it made Jihoon so happy to read— _so happy to share with him._

 

The evening pressed on, and by the time the sun was setting, Jihoon had only made it halfway through the book. The merman sighed when he stared out into the ocean, closing it for the day.

 

“You have to go?” Guanlin assumed, sitting up from where he was leaning against the merman.

 

Jihoon saddened, but then with a hopeful voice, he asked, “Tomorrow?”

 

Guanlin laughed and nodded. “Yes. We can meet again tomorrow,” He assured the other. But before Jihoon could leave, Guanlin remembered something, and stopped Jihoon. He quickly drew the moon and sun in the sand, crossing out the sun and circling the moon.

 

Jihoon asked something, pointed to the moon, and shot Guanlin a questioning look.

 

“Yes,” He nodded. “We should start meeting at night again, it’s safer that way.”

 

Thankfully, Jihoon didn’t seem to mind the time switch. So with a nod as well, he pulled himself back into the ocean.

 

“Bye, Guanlin!” He shouted excitedly. Then, with a wave, he hollered, “Tomorrow!”

 

Guanlin chuckled. “I’ll see you!”

 

 

 

 

 

A familiar, light squeeze woke Guanlin up the following night, signaling to him that Jihoon was waiting at the dock. So as quietly as he could, the teenager threw on a jacket, slipped on his shoes, and carefully snuck out of his house like he did many times before.

 

Guanlin made his way down the dock and sat at the very edge, allowing Jihoon to guide his legs into the water like he always requested, resting his chin on his knee. Guanlin returned the smile that the other gave him.

 

“Hi, Jihoon,” He whispered, pulling the book from his backpack and setting it on his lap. He patted the spot next to him on the dock, gesturing for the merman to sit with him. “Did you want to finish the story?”

 

Eagerly, Jihoon hoisted himself up and took a careful seat on the cold wood. He pressed into Guanlin’s side to take the book, and Guanlin could feel his clothes getting all wet because of him. But at this point, he was used to this, so he didn't mind the slightest.

 

The moonlight was apparently enough for the merman to continue reading since he had no trouble reciting each word. Guanlin sighed just listening to him read, his voice soft, yet clear over the sound of the waves lapping against the wooden boats tied to the dock.

 

For a while, Guanlin watched the other run his finger across the pages, entirely immersed in the story he was reading and completely unaware that, after some time, Guanlin started staring at him instead.

 

The teenager shyly glanced away from the book to look at Jihoon, noting the way his eyes glistened and mirrored the star spattered sky that reflected onto the ocean’s dark surface. Water droplets clung to his eyelashes, that fluttered delicately as his gaze darted across the pages. His red lips curled as he pronounced each word, and suddenly, Guanlin wondered if they were as soft as they looked.

 

The teenager felt a heat rise to his cheeks. His heart skipped a beat or two. He tried to stifle the warm feeling bubbling up in his chest by telling himself that Jihoon was a merman and that it was in his nature to be beautiful. Amongst other things he had recently read, his grandfather's books told him that it was normal for merfolk, like Jihoon, to be captivating. Just like how it was normal for humans, like Guanlin, to be drawn—easily falling for whatever ‘spell’ the other unconsciously put him under.

 

But at this point, Guanlin couldn't tell if it were a spell or if the feeling was something else—possibly,  _the same something that made him feel inexplicably complete being with Jihoon._

 

It took a few moments of silence before Guanlin finally noticed that that the merman had stopped reading, and was looking up at him with his lips quirked into a smile and a matching, teasing gleam in his eyes.

 

Guanlin been caught red-handed for gazing too long at the other, and immediately, Guanlin exploded into a red flame of embarrassment.

 

“O-Oh! Jihoon, I-I—” He stammered, losing his train of thought and simmering from his ears from the way Jihoon arched a brow, knowingly. Guanlin couldn’t even finish defending himself, only being able to produce a string of garbled, high-pitched noises that made the merman giggle and Guanlin melt.

 

With a shy smile, Jihoon cleared his throat and timidly curled his fingers around Guanlin’s in the midst of his breakdown. Guanlin froze, and his eyes widened, watching the other's cheeks unexpectedly dust a light shade of pink before he quickly turned away and continued to read.

 

Guanlin gulped.

 

It took a while for his heart to steady to a normal beat and hands to stop tingling in Jihoon’s soft grasp. But when he finally relaxed, Guanlin found himself tiring out and resting against the other's side, watching as he continued to leisurely make his way through each page and running the pad of his thumb against the other's hand.

 

A nostalgic look swept across Jihoon’s features when he finished, and his eyes glistened with tears as he closed the book.

 

“What was it about?” Guanlin asked, his voice only a whisper. It was a useless question to ask, yet part of him still wanted to voice it out loud. “Was it sad?”

 

As expected, Jihoon didn’t reply. Simply because he didn’t know what the other had asked and never would—Guanlin felt his chest tighten, and he unconsciously squeezed the other's hand in his.

 

A few quiet moments passed before Guanlin finally murmured a soft, “Thank you, Jihoon...”

 

At this, the merman perked, knowing the answer to that particular phrase. “You’re welcome,” He replied with practiced ease.

 

In compensation for the story, Guanlin pulled a single daisy from his jacket pocket and handed it to the merman. And just like always, the daisy drew a gleaming smile from the other.

 

Jihoon gazed fondly at the small flower and shyly pressed it to his nose, his smile blossoming even wider. Guanlin figured that even without words, at least he was still able to make Jihoon happy, and that this was okay for now.

 

Their meeting came to a prolonged end as they waited for the first ray of sunshine to seep from beyond the ocean’s horizon before heading back. In reality, neither of them had the heart to let go of the other's hand.

 

Jihoon had to go eventually, so Guanlin helped him from the dock.

 

He let Jihoon's hand slide from his own when he sunk back into the water, and with that, they both told each other that they would meet again with the promise of ‘tomorrow.’

 

 

 

 

 

The next few days went by fast.

 

Guanlin continued to meet with Jihoon every single night; the other calling him with a simple squeeze in his chest that didn’t stop tugging until he was sitting at the edge of the dock.

 

Guanlin brought Jihoon more gummies, which he seemed to enjoy far more than what was probably healthy for someone who was only half-human to eat. Idly, Guanlin wondered where the merman gained such an intense passion for the snacks and where he’d tasted them before. But the question would have been too much trouble to ask with only hand gestures, so he figured it'd have to remain unanswered.

 

Most of the time, though, Guanlin would just listen to the other talk.

 

There must have been a lot on Jihoon’s mind recently because he’d speak for _hours_ sometimes, filling their night with that melodious language which still sounded beautiful despite the anxiousness laced in each of his words. Guanlin wondered what the other could be talking about, but he didn’t dwell on the thought for too long since Jihoon always seemed to perk up after he was done by bringing himself closer to Guanlin and giving him a small smile.

 

Then, they'd just sit together comfortably in silence. Which was exactly how they spent their Thursday night together—the Thursday night before Guanlin had to leave to the city with his grandfather.

 

While Guanlin was excited, a part of him really didn’t want to go. He wanted to stay in the small fishing town that he had grown to love and keep seeing Jihoon every night. But then again, three days wasn’t _that_ long. He’d be back before he knew it.

 

The few hours they spent together was filled with Jihoon’s peaceful humming. The merman was resting his head on Guanlin’s lap with his tail hanging over the dock, swishing it back and forth in the water. It mad Guanlin’s heart clench over how happy the merman looked as he fiddled with the pearls around his neck, shivering delightedly over the attention Guanlin was giving him as he poked little daisies in between the curls of his hair and tied them between the pearls of his headpiece.

 

Jihoon closed his eyes with a blissful sigh, smiling as if he’d never been happier than at this very moment. It made Guanlin snort because he knew how much pleasure Jihoon took in being admired like this.

 

When he eventually ran out of daisies, Guanlin sat back on his palms and stared out into the ocean, but that didn’t settle to well with the merman who started whining softly and tugging at the hem of Guanlin’s shirt for his attention.

 

“What’s wrong?” He asked, turning to Jihoon again.

 

There was a pout on the merman’s face, and with a huff, he took Guanlin’s hand and placed it back in his hair.

 

Confusedly, Guanlin kneaded his fingers against Jihoon’s scalp and the gentle action sent the merman sighing in bliss yet again.

 

Guanlin snickered. “Why do you like being preened so much, _hm?”_ He asked teasingly, brushing Jihoon’s bangs from his face as the other just continued on with his humming. _I_ _t was probably a mermaid thing,_ Guanlin thought to himself.

 

Time passed and with it, the sky gradually began to lighten signaling to Guanlin that the sun was going to be rising and that they’d have to get going soon. So he helped Jihoon sit back up, then took a notebook and pen from his backpack to help him describe to Jihoon that he would be leaving.

 

"I’m going to be gone for three days,” He explained, drawing three moons and crossing them out. “My grandpa and I are heading to the city a little ways from here, so I won’t be able to meet with you until Monday.”

 

Jihoon curiously looked over the drawing, and with an _‘oh!’_ , he took Guanlin’s pen and drew three suns instead before circling them.

 

Guanlin’s heart sank in his chest. “Ah, no…” He replied, crossing out the suns as well.

 

Jihoon blinked at the drawing, he was obviously confused. He chewed at his bottom lip unsurely and looked between the notebook and Guanlin.

 

Guanlin was at a loss. He didn’t know how else to explain that he’d be gone for three nights. Anxiously, Guanlin scrambled to figure something out, but the other didn’t seem to pay too much mind to what Guanlin was trying to explain. So the merman just gave him a farewell hug before sliding off the dock and into the ocean.

 

“Tomorrow?” Jihoon asked, gently touching the other’s knee with a shy smile blossoming across his lips. Just like he always did before they parted ways.

 

Guanlin opened and closed his mouth wordlessly, before muttering out a soft, “No, Jihoon.”

 

At the response, the merman flinched. He blinked rapidly up at Guanlin with the smile slipping from his face. “N-No?” He repeated.

 

Guanlin reluctantly nodded.

 

Suddenly, Jihoon launched a series of panicked questions at him. He wrapped his arms protectively around Guanlin’s legs and rested his head on his knees. Guanlin didn’t expect the other to take the news so poorly, and his heart wrenched at the heartsick look the merman gave him with his eyes filled with confusion, darting back and forth and searching Guanlin for an explanation.

 

“I’m sorry, I don’t want to go too,” He whispered comfortingly, brushing his fingers against the other’s cheek, “It’ll only be three days—”

 

But Jihoon couldn’t understand him. He just held onto Guanlin’s legs tighter, pressed his face into Guanlin’s extended hand, and spoke rapidly with his voice breaking between each syllable.

 

Guanlin felt his chest squeeze with pain. His heart stuttered and began to feel as though it were lodged in his throat. “I-I’ll be back, Jihoon, I promise,” He told him.

 

But the merman just looked up at him with glassy eyes and he whimpered again, “T-Tomorrow?” asking the question one more time in hopes that Guanlin’s answer would change.

 

But when Guanlin didn’t say anything, just stared at him in defeat, Jihoon’s lips began to wobble and he frantically looked around—everywhere except at Guanlin. As if he'd been stung, Jihoon let go of Guanlin's legs. He lowered himself back into the water, wrapping his arms around himself defensively as he let his words sink in.

 

Devastation and hurt swept across the merman's features, and for a second, he looked like he was confused— _guilty_ —as if he didn’t know if he’d done something wrong, wondering what he did to make Guanlin not want to meet with him anymore.

 

And it was then that it hit him. All this time, Jihoon never truly understood what the word ‘tomorrow’ meant, only knowing that it had something to do with their meetings.

 

Guanlin’s heart dropped at the realization.  _Jihoon thought that he didn’t want to meet with him anymore._

_Jihoon thought he was leaving him forever._

 

“W-Wait—” Guanlin breathed, desperately trying to explain himself, “Y-You’re misunderstanding, Jihoon, I’m coming back—it’s only for three days, I—”

 

But the merman already concluded wrongly, and the ocean darkened to black.

 

Jihoon sank back into the water, his eyes only visible above the surface and pooling with anger, frustration, and, most of all, hurt. The flat expanse of the ocean began to tremble around him, rippling chaotically, forcing the little boats at the dock to collide against one another with the tide rising.

 

 _“W-Wait_ —You don't understand, Jihoon—” Guanlin tried to tell him again. With a gulp, he shakily reached over the edge of the water, peering down at what he’d always been so afraid of but barely even caring because he needed to get to Jihoon—tell him to stay and _listen to him._

 

But the merman’s pupils narrowed into slits. He glared at Guanlin with an expression so cold and detached, the other flinched back in shock.

 

“Jihoon, p-please—I—”

 

At the sound of Guanlin speaking his name, Jihoon hissed and slapped his hand away, ripping a pained cry from the other's mouth.

 

Jihoon’s eyes widened, coming back to his senses for just a moment. Regret flooded his features when he realized what he'd just done—that he had hurt Guanlin—but before the first tear could fall from his eyes, the merman plunged down into the water and disappeared into the darkness.

 

When the ocean stilled and turned back to its normal shade of blue, the daisies Guanlin had put in Jihoon’s hair that night floated up to the surface. But this time, the merman didn’t come back to retrieve them, leaving Guanlin alone on the dock with a broken feeling in his chest.

 

 

 

 

 

Morning inevitably came and as planned, Guanlin and his grandfather packed up to leave.

 

He helped the elder load up his truck with the barrels of fish they were to sell in the marketplace, dutifully making sure everything was in order before they headed out. And although Guanlin was excited to spend time with his grandpa, a worried feeling settled in the depths of his mind, replaying his last meeting with Jihoon over and over again until he felt sick.

 

He put on a smile, however, when his grandfather closed up the trunk and asked, “Are you ready to go, ‘Lin?”

 

“Yeah,” He breathed after a moment's hesitation, stepping into the passenger’s side.

 

With that confirmation, his grandpa revved up the engine and excitedly began to ramble, “We’re going to have lots of fun, kiddo. There are a few restaurants we need to try during our down time and a few people that I’d like you to meet as well! There’s also this really cool park I’ve wanted to show you…” He continued driving down the main road and towards the edge of the small fishing town where the gravel road turned into cement. “... The city is beautiful during the night, you’re going to love it. There’s lots to do, too, so we’ll have to make a schedule on our way there and…”

 

His grandfather’s voice trailed off to his ears.

 

Guanlin took a moment to look at the rearview mirror, and he watched as the sea began to disappear behind them. Thoughts about Jihoon flooded his mind until the horizon was nothing more than a blur of shimmering blue.

 

 

 

 

 

The two-hour trip went by quickly enough, and with time, Guanlin’s mood brightened.

 

Throughout the drive, he and his grandfather alternated between talking, joking, and singing along to the radio, until the small city finally came into view.

 

The elder nudged Guanlin, who fell asleep with his face pressed up against the window. “There it is, ‘Lin!” He exclaimed, “We’re here!”

 

Groggily, Guanlin rubbed his eyes and peered through the window. Just before he had dozed off, they were still in the mountains and surrounded by forest life. Now, they were driving past various buildings and complexes, and although the city didn’t have skyscrapers and sleek, modern feel that Taipei had, it was still a decent-looking place—homey, even.

 

The rickety, old truck pulled up to the side of the road next to a wide sidewalk lined up with nothing but canopies and street stalls, which Guanlin assumed to be the market.

 

“Come here and help me unload some stuff,” His grandpa called from behind the truck, “We won’t leave everything out since it’s already noon, but we’ll still put out a few barrels because it’s Friday and Fridays tend to get busy.”

 

Obediently, Guanlin got out of the car while his grandfather opened the back doors to climb into the trunk. However, the immediate second the elder tried to push a barrel out, he suddenly groaned and clutched at his lower back in pain.

 

“Are you okay??” Guanlin startled, climbing up to his grandpa and holding him gently by the shoulder.

 

The elder laughed it off. “Oh, don’t look at me like that, Guanlin, I’m fine,” He said, “I’ve just been sitting in the truck for too long and wasn’t prepared to carry that much weight yet. I’ll be ready after I loosen up a bit.”

 

Guanlin wasn’t convinced though, and instead, he told his grandpa, “I’ll take care of it, okay? Please sit down and rest.”

 

With a fond smile, the elder sighed, “Oh, alright. I’ll go get some handcarts for us, though.”

 

And before Guanlin could protest, his grandpa was already off.

 

They ventured down the street market, pushing a few of the barrels down the cracked sidewalk, and passed shoppers and various other stalls until they came across an empty one. There, they began to set up.

 

Guanlin did most of the work since his grandpa seemed to be having a really rough time. He unloaded the fish and displayed them on the ice they spread across the table, and although the elder kept declaring he was fine, he still muttered a “Thanks ‘Lin, it’s really nice having you around.” Which Guanlin responded to with a smile and his heart skipping in sincere happiness.

 

The rest of their day went by pleasantly. Guanlin and his grandpa had a good time selling fish, and he got to meet some of the elder's loyal customers, friends, and other vendors he was close to (which turned out to be most of them). For lunch, they didn’t get to eat much since they didn’t pack anything beforehand, so his grandpa sent him off on a little journey to find his favorite ice cream truck. Guanlin found that his grandpa was right about this place, as he walked. He rather liked the market place, enough so that he got distracted looking at all the food and trinket stalls, relishing in the comfortably busy atmosphere that the entire place exuded.

 

“What flavor did you get?” His grandpa asked when he returned with two ice creams in hand.

 

“Chocolate,” Guanlin snickered.

 

His grandpa smiled fondly at the reveal of his grandson’s choice and took a bite of his chocolate ice cream too. “Must run in the family then,” He said.

 

At around 8PM, they sold their last fish and closed up the stall for the day. Then, his grandfather took him to his favorite restaurant where they ate noodles, talked, and later, wandered around the night market.

 

It was beautiful and lively; the streets filled with people and the stalls lit up with stringed lights and various colorful lanterns. The smell of food was everywhere and chatter rung in the air. Everyone seemed to be having a good time, Guanlin and his grandfather included.

 

But it was then that around 11 o’clock that a light pressure squeezed in Guanlin’s his chest, and the teenager suddenly froze with his eyes widening and his heart twisting in guilt.

 

 _Jihoon was waiting for him at the dock,_ he thought as his mind zeroed in on the steady ache that tugged at the little swirled mark on his skin, _Jihoon probably still showed up tonight hoping he didn’t really mean what he said—that Guanlin still cared about him and would meet with him the following night and all the nights to come._

 

Guanlin sucked in a tight breath, wishing that he could run all the way back to the fishing town and tell the other that he _did_ like him and that he _did_ want to still meet with him—that he wasn’t abandoning him forever. But he couldn’t. Not without exposing his secret to his grandpa, which would ultimately end in disaster. So he just had to endure it.

 

But the squeezing in his chest didn’t stop for a long while. It pulled at him as he and his grandfather checked into their motel two hours after, and continued even after  _three hours_  when they’d gotten ready to go to bed. As his grandfather slept, Guanlin stared up at the ceiling, feeling the uncomfortable burning against his skin, his breath lodged in a lump at the base of his throat.

 

Jihoon didn’t stop trying to call him until 4AM.

 

When the squeezing finally stopped, Guanlin let out a shaky breath and closed his eyes miserably. The merman had waited the entire night for Guanlin, _hoping that he’d come,_ sitting at the dock all by himself with his heart breaking as every second ticked by. He probably finally gave up when he realized Guanlin wasn’t going to show and went home for the night.

 

And even though the teenager should have been able to fall asleep after that, he found himself lying awake for another hour.

 

 

 

 

 

Guanlin woke up the next morning drained.

 

He was tired and short on breath. It felt as if an invisible weight was pressing down on him from all sides and suffocating him.

 

He carried out his usual duties, however; putting a smile on his face and joking around with his grandpa. They shared a good breakfast, which Guanlin really enjoyed, and he helped to set up the stall. Even though he was mentally and physically exhausted, Guanlin still insisted on doing all the heavy lifting and carried out anything strenuous that would hurt his grandpa’s back.

 

Saturday was busy, even in the morning. Many people came and went, buying fish from their stall or hanging around to converse with his grandpa and meet Guanlin. He had fun talking to everyone and spending time with his grandpa. It kept him distracted throughout the morning, energized and happy enough to keep doing work, until afternoon rolled around.

 

They were running short on fish around noon, so his grandfather instructed Guanlin to go around to the warehouse a few blocks from the market to pick up a fresh barrel. And of course, Guanlin was pleased to help out the other.

 

But by the time he made it to the truck, there was a sudden pressure in his chest, squeezing down at him similarly to how Jihoon called him when he was waiting for him at the bay. _But this time, it was stronger and much more painful._

 

The sensation made the teenager seize up, curling in on himself slightly as he gripped at where the mark was on his skin. Normally, he’d be able to ignore the feeling, but this time, he found it near impossible with how the pain spiked and dimmed at random intervals, throbbing against his ribcage in an irregular pattern. Still, Guanlin managed to bring the barrel back to his grandpa’s stall and helped him put everything out on display for them to sell.

 

Once the evening hit and the sun began to set, they started to pack up so they could spend the rest of the night together. His grandfather was talking about the things he wanted to show Guanlin at the market later, when suddenly, as he was putting a box away, the squeezing sensation stopped. Guanlin paused what he was doing to think about the merman, he figured that Jihoon had given up again and gone home for the day. _But he was wrong._

 

It was as if a knife had plunged itself into his chest; fiery and hot, burning through his entire body and forcing him to stumble over. He dropped the box he was carrying and the world blurred out for a moment, tipping on its axis and wringing the air from his lungs.

 

When things seemed to come back into focus, his grandpa was at his side looking over him in concern.

 

“Are you okay, ‘Lin??” He asked worriedly.

 

Once he was able to respond, the younger gasped, “I’m fine, I’m sorry.”

 

“You’ve been out of it all day, I—” His grandpa sighed, “It’s my fault, I shouldn’t have let you work like this. You’ve been doing all the physical labor and I’ve been—”

 

“It’s not your fault,” Guanlin was quick to reply. He composed himself, standing up straight again. “I just wasn’t able to sleep well last night, and besides, I want to help you.”

 

The elder searched him with sad eyes, hesitating to agree. But in the end, he nodded at the younger slowly. “Don’t overwork yourself though, and take breaks if you need it. I can carry some things on my own, so don’t go pushing yourself to do everything for me, okay?”

 

Guanlin nodded. “Okay.”

 

His grandpa smiled easily, ruffling his hair and giving him a pat to the shoulder. “Thank you.”

 

The rest of his day went by, but the clogged feeling in his throat and the pressure on his shoulders never faded. Guanlin tried to have fun when his grandpa showed him his most favorite spot in the city; a park in the middle of two large buildings. He tried to eat at his grandpa’s favorite hot pot place but ended up losing his appetite before the meal even started. All he could think about was how upset Jihoon probably was, thinking that Guanlin didn’t like him anymore, blaming himself for doing something wrong even though he didn’t. Thankfully, the elder didn’t seem to notice, and they eventually retired to their motel for the night.

 

But sleeping that night proved to be difficult.

 

At promptly 11 o’clock, the squeezing returned that signaled to him that Jihoon was waiting for him at the dock. Except this time, every pulse felt like a blow to the chest, forcing the oxygen out of him and keeping him awake to think about Jihoon. He could imagine the merman clinging to the dock, peering over the wooden planks and hoping he’d find Guanlin making his way down to sit with him like they did every night.

 

However, this time, instead of feeling sad, Guanlin grew frustrated.

 

Eventually he was able to find sleep, but in the middle of the night he ended up shooting wide awake, startled by a dream he hadn’t had in almost a month that left him short on breath and heaving for oxygen. He felt as though he’d been dunked into a pool of ice water; wrecked and shaking with his hands feeling clammy and drenched with sweat.

 

Gasping, he tried to remember Jihoon’s song— _the one thing that used to make him feel better when he woke up like this_ —but thinking about the other only made things worse.

 

That night, Guanlin never fell back to sleep.

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday finally rolled around and Guanlin was miserable.

 

He was tired and angry, and all throughout the day, the throbbing in his chest never ceased; spiking in pain for hours and only sometimes, fading into a sharp tug. He was stressed, feeling as though he were breathing in air as thick as water and drowning. His eyes were sunken in and his hands were trembling and useless. He tried to do simple tasks but found himself unable to do anything except stand there and listen to his ears ring as the world blurred in and out of focus.

 

Guanlin felt horrible, especially since his inability to do things forced his grandpa to do all the heavy lifting. Every time the elder would stumble with a few heavy boxes or move something only to stop and have to knead at his back in pain, Guanlin’s heart would lurch and he’d try to take over, which would ultimately worsen his own situation.

 

After a particularly sharp jolt to his chest, Guanlin dropped a crate of fish and crumbled to his knees with a wince.

 

“Guanlin, go back to the motel room right now,” His grandpa commanded him. “You look horrible.”

 

“But you’ll be running the stall alone,” Guanlin gritted out, pulling himself back up to his feet to prove he was fine. “I can’t let you carry all this by yourself, your back has been hurting recently and—”

 

“I’ll be okay,” His grandpa insisted with a smile. “Stop worrying about me, I’m not that old. Besides, I think you look a whole lot worse than me right now, kiddo.”

 

“I can’t leave,” Guanlin replied. “I don’t want to.”

 

At this, the elder sighed gently at the younger's stubbornness. “Fine, fine, if you’re so worried, I’ll get someone to help me out tonight, alright? I’ve got plenty of friends at different stalls who’ll lend me a hand, so please go back and get some sleep.”

 

After a few seconds of hesitation, he decided that his grandpa should be fine, so Guanlin nodded reluctantly. “Okay... but promise me you’ll get help?”

 

“I promise, ‘Lin,” He laughed. “Now, hurry up. You look like you’re about to fall apart.”

 

Even though Guanlin felt guilty for leaving his grandfather, the moment he arrived back to their room, he plopped down onto his bed and melted into the mattress with relief. In complete exhaustion, he was somehow able to ignore the squeezing in his chest and clear his mind of anything other than _he needed to get some sleep_.

 

It only took a few moments for him to pass out.

 

 

 

 

 

They arrived back to the little fishing town late on Monday evening, and Guanlin couldn’t even find it in himself to unpack.

 

Even though he rested for a lot of the day yesterday, his slumbers were filled with the same horrible nightmares of drowning, then waking up with a stinging pressure in his chest, unable to fall back asleep for sometimes even hours at a time.

 

For the rest of the evening and into the night, he squeezed and wrung his hands together anxiously, pacing around his bedroom trying to breathe from his clogged throat. His muscles trembled from exhaustion, and his vision was hazy from lack of sleep and bottled up anger—his mind was falling into shambles as he waited and waited for a sign from the other.

 

When an agonizing squeeze finally ripped through him, Guanlin shot up from where he was sitting and stormed out of his house to the dock. He plopped down on the hard wood, crossing his legs defiantly to show he wasn’t going to let the merman dip them into the water like he always requested. And at this, Jihoon’s glare intensified.

 

The merman stared at the other with his eyes only visible above the surface; his pupils narrowed into slits with the whites stained red and puffy from either crying or lack of sleep— _most likely both._

 

The silence stretched for a long while. It was deafening to Guanlin's ears, even though neither of them made a sound. Jihoon stayed unnaturally still in the water, and Guanlin breathed heavily through his nose, pursing his lips and grinding his teeth. After minutes of nothing, Jihoon was finally the first one to burst.

 

The merman slammed his hands on either side of Guanlin’s legs, gripping at the dock to pull himself up so that he and the other were face to face. He hissed— _enraged_ —and began to shout with his voice strong and accusing, cracking at the end of each sentences and sounding like alarms to Guanlin’s ears.

 

Even though Guanlin didn’t know what the other was saying, his words still hurt and made the hairs on the nape of his neck rise.

 

Clenching his jaw, Guanlin waited; listening to what the other had to say, letting him finish. “IT’S NOT MY FAULT THAT YOU MISUNDERSTOOD!” He shot back, pushing closer to the merman with his face twisted into a scowl.

 

Jihoon flinched at the outburst, like he didn't expect such a strong reaction of anger from Guanlin. Shock and hurt briefly flashed through the merman's eyes, but he held his ground, keeping his brows furrowed together as he listened.

 

“I said I was going to be back but you didn’t give me a change to explain it to you— _was all the squeezing really necessary?_ Do you know how much that _hurts??”_

 

Guanlin knew that the other couldn’t understand him. He knew that his yelling was nothing but furious sounds to the other’s ears, but he continued anyway, releasing his pent-up frustration more for his own sake rather than Jihoon’s.

 

 _“I hate it when you do that,”_ Guanlin hissed, his voice trembling with fury and dripping with venom. _“I hate that feeling so, so much, I can’t stand it,”_ He growled.

 

At the sound of his tone, Jihoon visibly bristled, his shoulders tensing and his glare deepening. And then, he began to argue back.

 

Sharp words poured from the merman’s mouth, shouting with hisses and growls, his voice breaking and wobbling at points. Guanlin probably sounded the same, the volume of his voice escalating with every sentence and causing Jihoon to coil in on himself. It was pointless. The two of them were probably arguing about entirely different things, only worsening the situation.

 

After a while of yelling back and forth, Jihoon looked devastated and wrecked, his eyes glassy as if he were about to cry. It broke Guanlin to see Jihoon like this. He didn’t want to be mad at him, but he was so tired and frustrated, everything in him hurt. Growling, he buried his face into his hands and grit his teeth together—all this shouting this was getting them nowhere, and Guanlin figured they should talk later when they were both calmer and had gotten some sleep.

 

“I’LL JUST SEE YOU TOMORROW,” He shouted before getting ready to stand up and leave.

 

But Jihoon grabbed at his wrists, forcing him to sit back down, screaming, _“NO!”_

 

Guanlin wanted to yell back. He wanted to voice all his pent-up feelings from the past few days and show the other how much he suffered, but his voice died in his throat upon seeing the same exact pain in Jihoon’s eyes.

 

It was heart shattering, watching the first tear roll down the other’s cheek. Instinctively, Guanlin moved to wipe it away, but it was at that same moment Jihoon pushed himself higher onto the dock and suddenly, pressed their lips together in a kiss.

 

He froze.

 

Jihoon’s lips were soft and delicate, moving gently against his and tasting like sea salt but still sweet in a way only distinct to him. The other tried to break away to sniffle and exhale shakily, but Guanlin chased after him, capturing his lips again and absolutely melting against them. All his previous feelings vanished with the warm feeling that rose in his chest. He cupped Jihoon’s face in his hands, swiping his thumbs against the creases of his closed eyes and brushing the tears gathered in his lashes.

  

He felt the other grip at his shirt, splay his fingers across where the mark was on his chest and press his hand there as if he were trying to feel Guanlin’s heartbeat. At the thought, Guanlin shuddered.

 

Their kiss ended, and they sat in silence for a minute to catch their breaths; foreheads bumping together. Guanlin pulled Jihoon up onto the dock so that he could sit in between his crossed legs and the merman wrapped his arms loosely around Guanlin’s torso, burrying his face into his shoulder and gripping at the edges of the fabric there, sniffling.

  

Jihoon muttered something. The sound was muffled but still discerningly apologetic, and in response, Guanlin touched the small of his back, rubbing soothing patterns there and whispering, “It was a misunderstanding, we’re both at fault.”

 

Yet, Jihoon continued to speak with his voice quivering and his shoulders shaking, sounding regretful and helpless as he tightened his hold around the other.

 

“I’m sorry for making you worried,” Guanlin murmured, “I didn’t want to leave you too.”

 

It was a while before Jihoon finally stopped talking. Falling into silence, they listened to the familiar roll of the waves and the boats that bumped against one another, just like they did every night before.

 

Jihoon refused to get off Guanlin’s lap, and the latter didn’t mind. He was comfortable, letting Jihoon to rest his head on his shoulder and fiddle tiredly with the hem of his shirt.

 

Exhaustion began to take over, and Guanlin’s head lolled to the side, gently placing it on top of Jihoon’s. It was then that he whispered to the other, each word hurting him as much as it probably would have hurt the merman, “My summer isn’t going to last forever, Jihoon.”

 

But Jihoon couldn’t understand him, and soon, he felt steady breaths of air puffing softly against his neck. The merman had fallen asleep.

 

Guanlin found himself nodding off as well, he decided that it wouldn’t hurt to catch up on the rest they were both missing. So, he set an alarm on his phone to ring before the sun would rise, and with that, he too fell asleep.

 

 

 

 

 

Things didn’t go back to normal until a few days later.

 

The first night after his return, Jihoon had called him and Guanlin found the other waiting anxiously by the dock; nervous as if he wasn’t going to show up. Once he took a seat, Jihoon buried his face into Guanlin’s shirt and gave him tight hug that seemed to last for hours. Guanlin didn’t mind it. He hugged the other back just as tightly and reassured him that he’d continue to show up whenever Jihoon would call.

 

They caught up on lost sleep for the first two nights, leaning against each other on the dock, until they realized that it’d be more practical to meet during the day. Even though it would be dangerous, Guanlin couldn’t bring himself to refuse since he also missed spending time with the merman.

 

Eventually, it was almost as if they had never been separated at all, and the pair carried out their meetings as they always did. They never brought up the kiss, however; so Guanlin just assumed it was maybe a _“normal”_ mermaid thing he didn’t quite understand, so he tried to dismiss it as “normal” as well. But it was hard because whenever he'd think about it, his heart would begin to race and a warm feeling would rise in his chest, recalling the wonderful feeling of Jihoon’s plush lips against his and how  _completed_  it made him feel, just kissing the other. Remembering it sent pleasant tingles blossoming across his lips, rendering him unable to look at Jihoon properly for hours.

 

One afternoon a few days later, he and the merman were laying on their stomachs in the sand, giggling as they watched a small ghost crab crawl its way across their path, only to be stopped by the small stick Jihoon was holding. The merman made a game out of poking gently at it until it turned to walk the other direction, but Guanlin was more distracted by Jihoon, gazing shyly at him just to catch his nose scrunch up when he laughed and basking in how happy he looked.

 

Soon, it was time for Jihoon to leave, and the merman turned to look into the sunset with sad eyes.

 

Guanlin noticed that recently Jihoon seemed to be more reluctant to leave. He'd start out their meetings with a solemn look on his face, telling Guanlin something he’d never understand. He wondered what was troubling him so much.

 

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” Guanlin quietly told him, poking one last daisy behind his webbed ear and giving him a reassuring grin.

 

Jihoon nodded with a smile curling at the corners of his lips. “Tomorrow.”

 

When he finally disappeared into the ocean, Guanlin started making his way back to the small fishing town. A light, bubbly feeling bloomed in his stomach replaying his meeting with Jihoon and recalling every detail, from his laughter to his smile.

 

As he stepped off the dirt onto the cement of the main road, a horrible feeling gripped at his chest when he saw Mrs. Huang scurry her way up to him with a worried look on her face.

 

“Guanlin! There you are!” She exclaimed, panting and out of breath.

 

“W-What’s the matter?” He asked.

 

“I-It’s your grandpa,” She stuttered. “He collapsed.”

 

Guanlin’s eyes widened. His heart felt as though it came to a standstill. “He… what?” He repeated in a whisper.

 

Everything that Mrs. Huang told him afterwards was just muted gibberish to him as Guanlin suddenly felt a wave of nausea overtake him. Panic coursed through his veins as he broke out into a sprint towards his grandpa’s house; running as fast as his long legs would carry him.

 

He didn’t want to believe it, but the ambulances parked outside of the house weren’t reassuring at all. He pushed his way past the townsfolk who gathered outside with worried looks on their faces and blindly threw open the front door to find medics walking in and out of his grandpa’s room. He grabbed one of them and asked with a voice both frantic and terrified, “WHERE IS HE?”

 

“A-Are you the grandson he was—”

 

 _“IS MY GRANDPA OKAY?”_ He shrieked brokenly. Guanlin tried to shove his way towards his grandpa’s room but the medic stopped him, ushering him to sit down on the couch and murmuring  _‘he’s going to be fine,’_ and _‘it’s nothing too serious.’_ But he didn’t know if he could trust her, only feeling the hot sting of tears in his eyes and his throat ache.

 

“W-What happened to him? H-He was fine this morning—C-Can I see h-him? Is he okay? What are they doing to him in there?”

 

“Shhh, sweetie,” The nurse said, patting him on the back, “It’s nothing major, his back is just giving him a little trouble, that’s all. We’re doing what we can to make things feel better for him, but for now, we’re probably going to have to take him to the nearest hospital.”

 

Guanlin felt as though a boulder dropped into the pit of his stomach. All he could think about was that _it was all his fault._ He knew his grandpa was having a rough time and he _knew_ he should have stayed around to help the other last Sunday… _His grandpa probably never requested for help the night Guanlin went back to the motel early_. Guilt stung at every nerve in his body.

 

A few long moments later, his grandpa was carried out of his room on a stretcher looking pale and much older than Guanlin remembered.

 

“Grandpa??” Guanlin croaked, jumping up from the couch and hurrying over.

 

“I’m fine, ‘Lin,” He chuckled with a wheeze. “Don’t look so sad. I’ll be back soon, there’s nothing wrong with me,” He insisted.

 

“You should have told me to stay and help it’s all my fault, _I shouldn't have—”_

 

His grandfather shook his head. “It’s not your fault, Guanlin. It’s mine. I should have known my limits.” With a wobbly smile, he added, “Mrs. Lin will take care of you while I’m gone and I’ll be back before you know it.”

 

Nothing he said made Guanlin feel any better though, but he didn’t want to keep the elder talking because each word sounded painful for his grandpa to speak. So, Guanlin just nodded, helplessly watching as he was taken into the ambulance and driven away.

 

Mrs. Lin put a comforting hand on his shoulder, squeezing it and telling him something that was supposed to be reassuring. But Guanlin was too devastated to care. He didn’t want anyone to see him cry, so he ran. He ran and ran and ran and didn’t know where he was running to until he found himself at the small bay again, walking to the wet sand so he could sit.

 

Guanlin pulled his knees up to his chest and soon enough, the horrible stinging became too unbearable for him to hold in any longer and he silently began to cry. Worry and regret filled him to the brim and his shoulder began to shake. He buried his face into his legs and choked up whimpers with each shuddering breath he took.

 

He broke down for what felt like hours until suddenly, Jihoon was in front of him, clutching onto his chest in agony as he slid his way up to Guanlin through the sand, frantically asking him questions.

 

 _“What’s wrong, Guanlin?”_ Is probably what the merman was asking.  _“Why are you crying?”_

 

When Guanlin looked up, reluctantly allowing Jihoon see the tears on his face, he saw the other’s heart break in his eyes and then he tried everything to comfort Guanlin.

 

Jihoon hugged him, guiding Guanlin’s face down so he could rest on his shoulder as he stroked his hair soothingly. It only made Guanlin cry harder. He whimpered to Jihoon, “I-It’s all my fault, I shouldn’t have l-left him at the stall, I—I—”

 

Jihoon hummed, urging him to continue.

 

His voice wavered, and between gasps, he cried, “M-My family n-never visited him. We left him here all alone in this f-fishing town after I-I drowned,” He tightened his hold on the other. “H-He’s gotten so old, I-I never realized until now. H-He’s been alone all this time, Jihoon—for eight years none of us ever c-contacted him or checked up on him—”

 

Guanlin's words dissolved into sobs, and when he’d finally exhausted the last of his tears, he pulled away from Jihoon.

 

The merman looked devastated seeing him like this. He motioned for Guanlin to lie on his back, and guided his head down to rest on his lap so he could brush the wetness from his cheeks.

 

Eventually, Guanlin fell asleep like this, listening to Jihoon hum the song that always seemed to help him find peace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS IS CORNIER THAN DISNEEYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIMSOEMBARRASSED LMAOOO  
> side note, pls don’t think poorly of jihoon yet for hurting little linlin like that uwu form ur opinion later >:( !! and rip shoutout to my Good Pal for holding my hand as I cried while writing panwink fighting. It hurt me so much I felt like I was DYING these boys r Too Soft to be mad at each other /weeps into my FISTS  
> BUT THEY KISSED HOLY FUCK!!! AND ITS ONLY CHAPTER 4!! this is rlly some disney level shit lol aka 99% happiness and 1% plot jsdjsd 
> 
> ANYWAY ! TELL ME WHAT U THINK AND I’LL SEE U GUYS NEXT CHAPTER AYYYYYY
> 
>  **ALSO.** CHECK OUT THIS FANART I MADE OF MY OWN FIC CUZ IM A CONCEITED ASSHOLE :DD https://twitter.com/onguanlinnie/status/999257438552342529 
> 
> (twt @onguanlinnie / cc@coppercoin) <\-- TELL ME UR TWT OR DM/@ ME SO I KNO UR NOT A BOT AND I’LL FOLLOW U BACK OML /CRIES


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